Two Sides to Every Story
by fallen angel overlord
Summary: COMPLETE The Sequel with all the relationships comes soon! Slash! There are clones, a new evil and the answer to Who Christian-Hunt is! You'll never have seen this twist coming...it's not the best twist but - nyih. HunterCam every body! Enjoy!
1. Gone Awry

TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY Gone Awry By Fallen Angel Overlord ((The Overlord of Fallen Angels))  
  
Summary: The Power Rangers Ninja Storm face Lothar's new lieutenant and a brainwashed ranger as he begins to gain the upper hand mysteriously!!!!! (Excuse the bad summary)  
  
Disclaimer: me no own power rangers, if I did they wouldn't be so.squeaky clean and.pathetic. The Black/White Ranger in this one is mine. If I did own the Power Rangers I'd be rolling in dough by now, wouldn't I? Don't sue all I have is.oh look a penny! No fake.that leaves me with a copy of Mystique #7 and a stapler.and lint.see? No money  
  
Rating: PG-13 (violence, language and situations later)  
  
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance  
  
A/N: This is a Romance fic. It's also Action and Adventure. I'll accept suggestions for coupling although I believe Marah/Dustin and Tori/Blake might already be a given. send me CREATIVE criticism and anyone who flames me should be warned I have a volatile temper and can not be held responsible for my probably overkill actions in getting even. The Action probably will get toned down later on and I might end up increasing the rating. Yes I know I'm a lousy writer with no talent or skill, but I'm still writing so tough. When the muse strikes I scribble. If you want me to continue.Review! Send me the couples you want to see and I'll put the most popular in. But I'll only accept the suggestions if they accompany Reviews and reasons.  
  
Closing his eyes he breathed out and leapt. The Kelzacks never looked up. Landing on the chandelier like ceiling adornment, it swung with only a creak. 'Did you find him?' shrilled Kapri.  
  
The looks to their feet betrayed the Kelzacks and earned them a blast from the pink haired villain-ess. Stamping she turned on her heel and marched out of the room. He'd gotten so close.and then it struck.  
  
The crimson bands of electricity leapt from the ruby studded bands on his wrists and he dropped to the ground with a painful grunt. Lothar looked down as he entered. 'Another escape attempt.he's getting good at them.perhaps its time for him to do more then watch for us.'  
  
Zurgane gave a small and humourless laugh of agreement. 'Yes sir! He needs to be taken down a step or two. I recommend twenty years in the stockades' We don't have stockades' Marah said. 'Do we?'  
  
'Perhaps its time to make him.remember.'Lothar's voice was crueller and colder then normal. He reached forwards and gripped the brown hair in his fingers. 'This will hurt a bit' he grinned nastily.  
  
The boy screamed.  
  
***  
  
'What's this do?'  
  
'That's for calibrating the zords weapons. Put it down'  
  
'How does it do that?'  
  
'It runs a series of numbers through the computers and matches them with the base settings. Put it down' Cam repeated.  
  
'Sheesh all right!' There was a pause. 'What's this do?'  
  
'That's a small vacuum. I imagine you've never used one'  
  
'Hey!'  
  
'Hunter I have seen your room'  
  
Cam slid out from under the computer console sure he had fixed the problem. 'There we go. And never open another e-mail about Anna Kornikova ever again'  
  
'Once off I swear' Hunter said raising his hands in defeat. He ran a hand through his blond hair and put the vacuum down. 'I'll leave all the tech to you.'  
  
'You say that so often' Cam sighed. 'But never mean it'  
  
'This time I do.I think' Hunter murmured.  
  
Cam sat back at the controls. 'It'll take me a few minutes to get CyberCam rebooted from the memory banks. Just as well the worm didn't get in there.'  
  
'Yup' Hunter said as he stuffed several sticks of gum into his mouth and set to work chewing up a bubble. There was silence for a few seconds broken only by the chewing of Hunter.  
  
'At least you won't irritate me about this' Cam said. And spoke to soon as the bubble exploded and splattered him with Cherry-Cola pink-red gum. 'Thanks for that' he growled.  
  
'No problem' Hunter chimed in. He began peeling the gum off his face. Cam pulled off his glasses and peeled a layer of gum off him.  
  
'This'll mess up the lenses' he sighed.  
  
'Get contacts' advised Hunter.  
  
Cam shook his head. 'We have to be prepared; lately Lothar's been getting insightful into our moves. We're getting predictable I think'  
  
'Hey, what else can we do other then start relearning?' Hunter chuckled.  
  
'Maybe then you'd learn basic manners at least' grunted Cam.  
  
Before Hunter could reply an alarm started up. Cam flicked some gum off the keyboard and tapped the keys. 'They're in the factory district!'  
  
'Let's roll!' Hunter said as he moved towards the portal.  
  
'Roll?' Hunter said to no one in particular as he pushed himself to his feet and rushed to teleport out.  
  
***  
  
'There's no one here' remarked Hunter.  
  
'There has to be' Dustin said. 'Like, the scanners say there is.though you and your hunger for babes might've screwed that up too.'  
  
'There-is-no-one-here' Hunter said. 'And you'd have opened that e-mail in a flash too!'  
  
Before Dustin could retort someone moved behind them, darting across behind them. Shane spun to fire at whatever he could see. There was nothing.  
  
'Rangers!'  
  
Marah and Kapri stood on a walkway above them in the huge warehouse. 'You guys are too-gullible!'  
  
'Ambush?' Blake asked.  
  
'Ambush' agreed Tori. 'Like we didn't figure that out before hand.'  
  
The Kelzacks appeared and charged straight at the rangers.it took all of ten minutes to destroy them completely.  
  
'This is totally not fair!' Marah said. 'They never get more then a few punches and kicks from the Kelzacks!'  
  
'You mean you aren't used to it yet?' exclaimed Dustin.  
  
'Go back to the boy scouts!' hissed Kapri viciously. 'We've still got our trump card! Come and get them please!'  
  
She and Marah teleported down to the Rangers level as someone stepped from between the pair. He was dressed in black and white. His black suit had white lines at certain areas. He had white lined boots with daggers jutting from them and a pair of black and red gauntlets with a ruby in each. His helmet was a black visor on a gold and white shell. He wore a belt with a strange circular buckle on it.  
  
The sign was a curved black teardrop with a white circle in it up near the top left of the buckle. The guy advanced.  
  
'We have our own ranger now!' sneered Kapri. 'Kill them!'  
  
She pointed her finger and the black ranger advanced.  
  
Cam moved forwards. The blaster was in the Black Rangers hand; he fired and blew Cam into a wall. Swiftly moving he rolled aside from another blast. Kapri and Marah pointed their staffs and fired blast at the rangers to keep them off balance.  
  
'Prepare to die!' the ranger sneered at Tori. She kicked at him, he knocked her foot aside but she caught him with an uppercut to the chin. He spun and backhanded her into a wall. He swung his hand out at her.  
  
'Web site mode' he instructed the voice controls. The glowing green spiders web shot out. Blake spun his staff and leapt out in front of the oncoming strands of energy. 'I don't think so! Thunder Shield!'  
  
The blast staggered him but the shield protected him from the energy web. 'Annoying' growled their enemy. 'Find someone else to play with.' He tugged on the web and dragged away the shield.  
  
'Ahh!' shouted Blake as he was slammed in the ribs easily by a careful blade kick by the Black Ranger. Shane leapt forwards and landed a kick on the back of their attacker. The ninja in black staggered and twisted. He and Shane exchanged blows and blocks quickly before the Black Ninja swept Shane's legs from under him, knocking him to the ground swiftly and efficiently.  
  
Dustin, Hunter and Cam went after Kapri and Marah. The pair ran off into the storage crates of the warehouse. 'Leave Marah to me! You guys take care of Kapri!' Dustin said, running off after the woman who had betrayed him recently so no one could argue with him on the point.  
  
'Here we go' groaned Hunter. 'This'll all end in tears'  
  
'Stay here' Cam said. 'I'll take Kapri, the others need you!'  
  
Grudgingly Hunter nodded and let the green Samurai run off after the pink haired fiend at top speed.  
  
Hunter took a deep breath and fired his Crimson Blaster. The Black Ranger fell forwards and didn't move. Hunter paused. 'That was all it took?'  
  
He walked forwards with Blake, Shane and Tori.  
  
'Weird' decided Tori. 'He didn't really put up a fight'  
  
'You'll pay' the Black Ranger said. He rose to his feet like he was on a hinge and arched into a jack-knife-flip, landing his feet on Hunters shoulders and flipping backwards, throwing Hunter across the room.  
  
'Would it be too much to ask about what we have to pay for?' Shane asked as he swung his sword sharply down. The Black Ranger blocked the blade with his own and kicked out directly into his solorplexus. Shane slammed into a crate and shattered the wood, landing with a groan in the splintered box he reached for his blade.  
  
'I imagine you don't remember, they told me how much you murdered.after so long it's probably all the same.'  
  
Tori slammed her foot into his back and Blake kicked up into his face. The Black Ranger cried out as he flipped backwards from the kicks. He landed and struggled to his feet.  
  
'That hurt' he hissed. He pulled two shapes from his boots. The sai was a weapon they'd heard about.not necessarily for ninja's at the Wind Academy though. It was three blades; the two shorter ones at the sides and the long narrow one in the middle. The Black Ranger attacked swiftly. He spun and slashed left and right at the four rangers. 'But not as much as this!' he added as he thrust his knee into Hunters stomach and rolling over his back while grabbing the Crimson rangers shoulders. On landing he hurled Hunter straight into Tori.  
  
'Next' chuckled the Black Ranger.  
  
***  
  
Dustin crept along the boxes outside the warehouse; she had escaped out a side door to the dock-loading bay lined with row upon row of crates. Marah was an all right fighter; she could do pretty well actually. But he knew this would be a one sided fight.  
  
'Marah!' he shouted.  
  
'I don't want to fight!' the voice echoed. 'Back off already! I am totally not interested in a fight!'  
  
'Who is the guy back there?'  
  
There was a pause, not silence, just an audible pause from Marah. 'He's a Ranger. That's all I'm going to tell you!'  
  
'Marah, come out! We have a score to settle'  
  
'Fine!' the cry was angry. He wasn't ready for her to leap off a crate and corkscrew spin into him, her heels striking like a drill blade. She flipped off his body and held her staff at the ready.  
  
'That's a new move' Dustin remarked touching his chest where she'd hit him. He drew his sword and advanced. Marah looked different. She'd dropped the giant bee hat in favour of a kind head set that reminded Dustin of an Egyptian Queens crown and the head of one of the Aliens from the "ALIEN" movies. It arched out behind her head slightly. She wore her red and black leathery bodice and long black gloves but the braids by her face were tied with yellow braids.  
  
Her dark purple trousers had yellow bands on them.as did her boots gloves and she even wore a yellow choker.  
  
'New look?' he murmured. He hadn't noticed until now.  
  
The two bee eyes on her headset stood up on her brow.and glittered darkly. She looked grim.She spun and her fuchsia boot connected in a crescent kick with his head. He was surprised with her speed but arched his body into a side spring like move to land on his feet and twist to face her.  
  
She used her staff like a pole-vaulter and slammed into him. He rolled aside from her stomp as he lay on the ground and swept her feet from under her. She landed on her backside and squealed. He dodged a blast from her staff and swung his sword. She blocked it with her staff the result of the force was to send both weapons flying upwards into the air.  
  
'Guess we do this the old fashioned way!' Dustin said.  
  
Marah dodged his fist but not his kick. She stood on one leg, her upper body horizontal, and then the flipped, her foot slashed across him. He blocked the next swing of the leg and slipped her leg from under her, she landed into a roll and shoved her feet out at him, balancing on her hands.  
  
'Where'd you learn all of this?' grimaced Dustin as her feet connected and knocked him back. He attacked and landed a flurry of punches. Marah staggered back and he kicked her in the ribs.  
  
((I can do this!)) He thought. ((I can fight better! So why amn't I?)) And with that he and Marah attacked one another.  
  
***  
  
Kapri slammed her staff into Cam's stomach and swung the end around into the side of his head. Cam shouted out in pain and rolled with his aching landing. Kapri had definitely improved.  
  
'What did you do?' he groaned. 'Fall asleep in front of the Xena Channel?'  
  
'There's a Xena Channel?' Kapri murmured.  
  
'So I've heard!' Cam said hastily.  
  
He swung his blade. Kapri countered with her staff and forced his blade down to the ground, she slammed her leg forwards into his chest and he twisted into a hook kick across her face. They forced themselves apart. Kapri grabbed his arm as he attacked and twisted him around, shoving him face first into a metal storage crate.  
  
'So sorry baby!' she cackled. They stood near the very back of the Warehouse; Kapri had ambushed Cam and was now demonstrating her improved fighting skills.  
  
Cam had to admit it was an improvement on her attacks. He blocked her punch and countered with a jab to her chest. He twisted and slammed a palm into his ribs. Suddenly a blast of red light forced them apart. Hunter fired his blaster again and Kapri conjured up some sort of protective field.  
  
'You okay?' Hunter asked.  
  
'Fine' Cam reassured him. 'But she's gotten better at hand-to-hand. It caught me off guard is all.'  
  
'My turn!' Hunter exclaimed, turning to face off against her. The pink haired woman was dressed in a red and green version of her usual costume with red bands and dragons on her legs and arms. Her nails were longer and dark red. Her hair was tied with spiked black bands and her heels were made of steel.  
  
'Bring it on you dork!'  
  
Hunter smirked beneath his helmet. 'Ten to One you've never seen this move before!'  
  
He rushed forwards. 'It's called the Spinning Thunder!'  
  
He grabbed her weapon wielding right arm and swung her around on the spot. He grabbed her other arm after a few spins and swung her like an Olympic hammer thrower. Abruptly she twisted her body, landing and swinging him vertically over her head from right to left and slamming him through a crate. Hunter sparked and shouted in pain. Cam winced and attacked. 'Hang on Hunter, you still owe me a new keyboard!'  
  
***  
  
Lothar watched the fights on the view screen. His nieces were impressive he had to admit. The training had helped. Maybe the pair would get better at evil now.  
  
***  
  
Dustin chased Marah around the corner and back into the warehouse. He followed her shape down the passages of the crates. He skidded to a halt. She had leaded him to the battle again.  
  
'Me or your friends!' she said as she aimed her sceptre at him. Kapri reappeared; the Crimson Ranger and the Green Samurai followed. Hunter was in bad shape; he was being supported by Cam.  
  
The Black Ranger was taking a lot of punishment. His sai daggers flashed and forced Shane back, but let Tori get in a swipe with her Sonic Fin. Kapri and Marah watched and laughed.  
  
'A little Help!' Blake shouted as he slammed his staff into the Black Rangers chest and swept the berserkers legs from under him. The Black Ranger leapt to his feet and planted both fists on Shane's chest. Dustin moved fast and used his sword to catch the sai strike, trapping a gap between an outer blade and the primary one.  
  
'Not so fast!' he said.  
  
The rangers gathered around the Black Ranger, ready to fight.  
  
'I may be good' he said. 'But not that good.I guess I'll have to surrender.' He raised his hands. 'NOT!'  
  
He spun into the air. Marah and Kapri took their queue and teleported out as he landed and drew his twin blades. 'This will be bad!' he sneered. She spun and hacked the air. The white and black lines flitted about.  
  
'That's it?' Hunter scoffed as he looked at himself. 'We're not even scratched!' 'I wasn't aiming for you!' laughed The Black Ranger.  
  
A red and green glow flared from his forehead, bursting from his helmet and engulfing him in a blaze of red and green light. He shimmered out of the warehouse with a final warning.  
  
'Don't sneeze!'  
  
Blake looked at the others. 'What did he mean?'  
  
And just then the building collapsed in on them.  
  
TBC  
  
Well? R&R and remember that I might get angry if you Flame me and you will not like me angry.The fact it's bad is a given but that's beside the point.any suggestions to help it rise in general goodness would be nice. 


	2. Being Wrong

TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY  
  
Being Wrong  
  
A/N: I got reviews and feel a bit more capable. Please note I will barbecue those who flame me and pay back by hunting them down relentlessly until I cause them immense suffering.no joke. My therapist was working on anger issues before he fell down that step into the piranhas.  
  
((These are thoughts and telepathy)) just so you know.  
  
Disclaimer: Baby no own Power Rangers at all! Now excuse me as I vaporize my slaves for their tragic work on my disclaimers summaries and total lack of ability. well as an evil overlord I can get away with that.  
  
Rating: PG-13 (It gets unpleasant later in the story)  
  
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance  
  
The Next Morning: ((That hurt)) decided Shane as he lay onto his bed with a groan. ((That jerk dropped a building on us! I am in some sort of shock! A whole building!))  
  
Someone walked past his door with frequent whispered ow's of pain. He didn't remember how they had escaped only that they'd woken up beside the debris with only aches and pains as proof anything had happened.  
  
'They're alive!' bellowed Lothar. He smashed his hand through a brick and roared angrily. He struck the Black Ranger across the face. 'You pathetic excuse for a ninja!'  
  
Marah and Kapri watched the boy rise fluidly to his feet and touch his damaged helmet. 'I warned you' he said. 'They aren't easy to kill. You sent me to try and I did, they'll be out of action for a while. But rangers heal fast.'  
  
'Fix your armour and prepare to fight'  
  
Lothar turned his back on the boy and let him leave without a comment. He looked to his nieces. 'Next time kill the rangers.'  
  
The pair nodded dumbly, their uncle was in a "mood" and if you crossed him in one of those you learned how to walk without your legs.  
  
Sensei looked at the rangers, nursing their wounds and shook his head. 'He is the Black Astral Ranger' he said. 'The huh?' Cam repeated.  
  
'Black Astral Ranger' Sensei said. 'He is a student of the Astral Ninja Academy, where they learn to use powers of the mind. It seems one of them was captured by Lothar.'  
  
'We have to free him' Blake said decisively. 'We can't let him do what we did' Sensei nodded slowly. 'There may be away. His belt buckle is his morpher.if you can destroy it he will lose his power.that is an extreme to be used. I hope you understand that'  
  
'We get it' Dustin said. 'Now all we gotta do is get to him'  
  
'Not so easy' Tori said. 'Lothar has a shielded base.'  
  
'Then we get him down here' Sensei said. 'An old proverb a friend once had. The Benefits of making the river come to you are numerous.'  
  
'That's right!' exclaimed Cam. 'If we make him come to us we can set up a trap and make sure there's no ambushes!'  
  
'Ehh, how do we do that genius?' asked Hunter with a sever dosage of cynicism dripping from his words.  
  
Cam shot him a look and tapped on the keys of a console. 'I can get CyberCam to send out a special image signal that will convince Lothar there's a world leader conference on.like a news clip or something'  
  
'Not too-shabby Cam' Hunter said. 'IF it works that is.' Cam said nothing but set up the signal.  
  
'They should be here' Kapri said. 'There's supposed to be a big meeting of totally important people.'  
  
The Black Astral Ranger stood beside them. His stance was ramrod straight and firm. He was waiting for some action. Marah pushed open the door of the town Hall with her toe. 'Hello? Important people?'  
  
Tori kicked her in the ribs, spinning out from beside the door. 'Thanks for the compliment!'  
  
'Rangers!' Kapri exclaimed as the other leapt from the rooftop. The Black Astral Ranger unfolded his arms in surprise.  
  
'Not bad' he admitted. 'They must have been that good when they killed them.' He attacked. Spinning around he pulled his sai from their holsters in his boots and rushed forwards.  
  
'Here's samurai!' Cam laughed as he slashed a Kelzack across the chest and spun to face the other. Instead he was given a blast in the chest with the black blaster of the Astral Ranger.  
  
'Time to go bye-bye' the Astral Ranger snapped as he aimed at Cam's face and charged the blaster to full force. Hunter took the blast, as it lanced through the air he threw himself in front of it and accepted the energy bolt. Sparks exploded through the air and he landed in a heap.  
  
'Well, one is better then none' decided the Ranger as he slashed his sai across Blake's chest and caught the Navy rangers neck between his angles. Spinning in the air he launched Blake across the sidewalk and into some potted plants. 'You'll all pay' he sneered.  
  
Marah and Dustin struck and lunged at one another. Arms and feet spinning only to be blocked by the other. Shane and Kapri were fighting and Tori had her hands full with the Kelzacks. 'Quick!' exclaimed Shane as he leapt away and slashed his sword across the Astral Ninja's back as he reached his comrades. 'The Thunderstorm Cannon! Aim for his belt!'  
  
Joining their weapons looked like the only way to stop him. The Astral Ranger was taken aback by their blasters general largeness. Swiftly he touched the belt buckle with the pitch black curved Teardrop on it and twisted it. The golden haze morphed the belt and a mirror image of the buckle materialized, the black tear was now white and a flipside of what it had been.  
  
What was black on his suit became white and what was white became black. As the Thunderstorm cannon fired the air rippled furiously and a white light engulfed the now White Astral ranger. The cannon struck it and went no further. With a scream the white ranger fell to his knees as green light flowed from his mind and hit the Thunderstorm cannon, forcing its beam upwards with the weapons nose, knocking the aim off.  
  
Crouched on his knees and shuddering the Astral Ninja picked up his white blaster. He rose as the Kelzacks stomped forwards and raised his blaster. The black beam struck the creatures and sent them rolling away. 'Oh dear' murmured Kapri. 'That can't be good.'  
  
'Don't worry about me' snapped the White Astral Ninja. He aimed his blaster at them .and the golden haze erupted from his belt. In an instant he was the Black Astral Ranger again.  
  
Spinning he blasted the Rangers who had been watching in shock and awe. The explosions scattered them but not long enough to give the last few Kelzacks any kind of chance.  
  
'This guy is weird!' exclaimed Cam.  
  
'You have no idea!' the ranger snarled as he caught Hunter in a neck grip, trapping his Adam's apple with the joint of his elbow. The Headlock was firm and Hunter gripped at the arm around his throat.  
  
Blake rushed in to save his brother. The result was a bolt of red light from the Astral Ninja's forehead and eyes sending him soaring up onto the roof. 'Not so fast!' he snarled. 'I won't let you get away with what you did!' 'Any idea what he's on about?' Dustin asked.  
  
'Maybe he's just crazy!' exclaimed Shane. Silently everyone agreed but they were more concerned with Hunter, the Astral Ninja and the deadly neck lock. 'Let's play follow the leader!' suggested the Ninja. And with that he was gone in a flash of black and white teleportation light.  
  
'CyberCam!' Cam said, speaking to the holographic duplicate in Ninja Ops. 'Track that teleportation! And hurry!'  
  
'Dude! Hold it up! I'm tracing it.it's like.somewhere in the mountains, I'm opening the portal channels!  
*** The rice paper screens allowed a misty light into the house. Hunter lay de- morphed on the ground near a wall. He groaned and sat up slowly. He'd lost consciousness when the Black Astral ranger had given some pressure to his neck. Now he was annoyed. He reached for his morpher only to find it missing.  
  
'Not as dumb as I thought' he murmured. Sitting up he edged into the hall expecting to find Kelzacks guarding him. There were none, he was shocked by that but he continued to walk along the white corridor. His breath was trapped in his throat as he peeked into the next room. The Astral Ranger was washing his face, his helmet was off and he stood in the light. Surprisingly he seemed almost angelic.  
  
'Make move for the morpher and die' he said, not even turning around.  
  
'You can't kill me out of my Ranger form' Hunter murmured edging towards the Morpher.  
  
'Cocky, try it' the ranger said strapping his helmet back on. Hunter lunged at his morpher; the green light surrounded it and hauled it upwards away from Hunters grasp. It whizzed swiftly to the Astral Ninja's hand. He wore the Ninja suit now, like what they wore in Ninja Ops normally. It was black on one side with white in places and vice-versa on the other side. His helmet watched Hunter with the black visor eyes as he stood with his arms folded only a few feet away.  
  
'And before you ask, I am a trained ninja of the Astral Academy. That you and your comrades attacked and erased all other ninja's from.I am the only one left.'  
  
With a shiver Hunter realized what was happening. 'Lothar is controlling you' he stated. 'Don't you see? It's what he did to Blake and me. We did terrible things. he-he forced us to hurt good people!'  
  
A red-hot sharp pain lanced through his mind and forced him to his knees. 'Another trick of the Astral Ninja' sighed his captor. 'Now shut up'  
  
The ninja hesitated as the trickle of blood fell from Hunters nose. 'Here' he reached into a bag on a table and tossed the small bottle to Hunter. 'Sniff that, it's an old herbal-formula to stop psychically induced nosebleeds and headaches. Natural or not' Hunter looked at the small bottle and then to the Ninja as he left.  
  
***  
  
Hunter swallowed the rice. It was nice, simple but tasty. The ninja watched him from the desk he sat at, a desk set on legs carved into spiralling dragons. He was dealing out the cards with the yin-yang symbols on the dark blue back with the gold framing. 'Did it ever cross your mind I might have poisoned you?' the ninja asked, not looking up from his Tarot Reading.  
  
Hunter froze and looked up at his captor.  
  
'It's not' sighed the Astral Ninja. 'I want to eliminate you all together for what you did to my.'  
  
He stopped and walked away. 'You can read minds right?'  
  
The ninja looked back. 'Yes' he nodded.  
  
'Are you the one helping Lothar with that power?'  
  
'Naturally' the Ninja said. 'I am Clairvoyant, I predict your every move before you make it, and with great pleasure' he added the latter. 'And when you throw that rice bowl know that I will smash you off a wall and deflect it all in one go.  
  
The shackles around his wrists were shining darkly. Cam looked at them. 'What are they?' he asked.  
  
'They make me strong' was the reply. 'Not that I amn't without them, but they ensure I can handle you and your.ilk'  
  
With a deep swallow, Hunter finished his rice. 'So if you're a clairvoyant why work for Lothar and not a psychic-hotline'  
  
'Because I'd only be able to try and talk you to death working on a hotline' was the cool reply. 'Wait until your friends arrive. They're already here.you know my visions are only so strong. They are pieces of a puzzle and thus I must focus on them should the need arise'  
  
He advanced on Hunter. 'Yet touch gives the primary possibility of the future. It shows me the most likely happenings of the future'  
  
He gripped Hunters arm. Hunter yelped in pain as the grip tightened and red light flared from his captor's eyes. The light was fantastic, shimmering perfectly in every way. He gasped and blinked, something shone in his eyes, visions.Hunter was unsure why but it looked so familiar.  
  
And then he was dragged under the waters of his own thoughts. He could feel the emotions of when he'd discovered his family's death.with a gasp he felt something else.traumatic sorrow and intense depression.the Astral Ninja! He was feeling all of that! He was so alone and so sad.it made Hunter shiver.  
  
The grip was released and he rocketed back to consciousness.  
  
'Does that hurt you?' he asked. The Ninja gave a cold glare. 'What concern is it of yours?'  
  
((That's a yes)) Hunter thought.  
  
'Does it always hurt to do that?'  
  
The Ninja stopped in the doorway. 'No, it never stops hurting' and with that he was gone leaving Hunter to wonder why he felt such a kinship to the young man. He was almost like Blake. The Brother-Aura thing, which always made them feel safe around one another.  
* * * ((The place looks like a Ninja compound)), Shane thought. ((Could there be more like him?))  
  
They watched the seemingly lifeless compound and advanced. CyberCam spoke to them over the communicator. 'There's seemingly no security. But the Astral Ninja's are good at setting up other types of traps.'  
  
'What other types of trap?' asked Dustin.  
  
'Mental traps' Sensei said. 'They leave signatures around their places that inflict thoughts on all who cross them. Be weary'  
  
And with that the Ninja's moved in.  
* * * The first scream of fear came, Hunter looked up as the Astral Ninja gave a chuckle. 'Tori is reliving the death of her friend.' a more masculine bellow came. 'And Blake is watching all his friends die.'  
  
Someone screamed "NO" at the top of his or her voices. 'And there's Shane seeing himself fail to be a good leader and inadvertently kill you all.Cameron should soon find the little Snake Trap and Dustin will have a broken heart when he reaches the gates.'  
  
The sound of sobbing reached Hunter without going through his ears. 'You're lying.they.they can't be.'  
  
'Oh they're not dead. Just out of the way' the ninja chuckled darkly. 'It's the way I work. I expect the Sensei will undo my mental work in a while.but all I need do is wait until then with some of my other traps.'  
  
At that point Cam kicked the door open and tackled the Ninja to the ground. The pair rolled along the floor of the long room until a red light repelled Cam upwards into the roof where he hit a rafter.  
  
'Someone didn't step on the Snake Trap' sneered the Astral Ninja.  
  
'I used a glider to get in over the walls' Cam shrugged. The astral ninja pulled the morpher off the side of his belt and raised it, the two gauntlets on his sleeves glinted, like shackles.  
  
'Astrali maxim!' he exclaimed.  
  
The blaze of light engulfed him and the Black Astral ranger stepped forwards. 'Time to play Samurai!'  
  
They attacked. The black Astral Ninja used two short swords against the single Samurai blade. They clashed and hissed off one another furiously. The Astral Ninja was fast and more then skilled. But Cam was definitely more prepared. He pivoted on the spot as they pressed their blades together and sent the Ninja flying into a wall. As Cam rushed to strike again the Astral Ninja kicked up into his chest and stomach, sending him flying over his body and through a wall. Cam landed with a groan as the Astral Ninja picked up his blades. 'Hey!'  
  
The Astral Ninja turned and the Crimson Thunder Ninja slammed his staff into his chest. With a hiss he blocked the next strike and was spun around into a pillar. He released a blast of mental energy and struck Cam with it, knocking him into a wall. Another blast hit Hunter and put him through the hole in the wall again.  
  
((Cameron? Can you hear me?))  
  
((Dad? Is that you? Don't tell me, I'm dead)) murmured Cam.  
  
((No, but I need you to coax that boy into scanning your mind)) his father explained. ((I will set a trap and possibly release him from Lothar's control!))  
* * * Kelly entered Storm Chargers, to find only two people manning the entire place. 'Okay' she said as she walked forwards. 'Where are the others?'  
  
'Gone' Garry said as he gave a customer her change. 'Called in about an emergency and that they'd be late coming in. Even JJ called in saying he had something to do'  
  
JJ was the newest employee and far from reliable. He always came in out of phase and had some hostility to Blake and Hunter for some reason.  
  
'Oh wait until they do!' Kelly hissed as she shoved the door to the storeroom open and stomped in.  
  
Gwenyth Hunter, Weesta, Star Traveller shall receive dank grimy cells with windows and small rats and cockroaches. Keep reviewing! A special thanks to you for being the first three to reply to me ever, as a thanks I will.I will.I will.hold myself back from incinerating you with my fiery gaze or drinking your blood as you sleep in an offhanded manner in the future.possibly. They gave me a real boost even if I stink. Also, a friend I sent this too suggested a slash pairing, but that's because they are a strange person. I added the undertones and pathways. Just suggest and I shall write because I like interacting with reader's thoughts. In my third chapter I intro a new femme and a new villain to make life hard. I want feedback or I release my flying monkeys with their banana ice cream (Yeuchhhhhhh Bananas)  
  
Cam: Hey, Hunter do you think he'll couple us? Hunter: Well his friends was as psycho as him  
  
Tori: Hey in 3 I get to hug Blake!  
  
Blake: Ahyuck  
  
Shane: And what of me?  
  
Overlord: Don't worry I'm throwing up smokescreens for villains so.I don't know maybe you'll get a girl.  
  
Shane: Wahoo  
  
Dustin: Marah.sigh  
  
Overlord: Wakey-wakey-eggs-and-bakey (zaps Dustin's backside) There you go.  
  
Astral Ninja: Hey, am I going to stay dead?  
  
Overlord: It's obviously not going to happen.R&R---R else.Dire Lord OUT! (Spangling teleportation effects) 


	3. Someone Said

TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY 3  
  
Someone said.  
  
A/N: Watch and learn grasshopper. I'm using my evil powers to conjure a rather strange plot.don't make me angry by saying it doesn't make sense. Firstly its not meant to be logical secondly it will all come together.  
  
Disclaimer: Are the power rangers mine? No.well I guess that answers all questions in that subject. I do own mystery ranger who you can use if you ask nice.  
  
Rating: PG-13 (the romance gets amped up soon.)  
  
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance (I swear Really I do)  
  
'What a bunch of weaklings you are!' exclaimed the Astral Ninja as he shackled Shane to the wall. 'How could you have defeated them? I'll never know.but once I'm done with you.well I'll go after your Sensei, your families and everyone you know. In fact I've already begun'.  
  
Tori pulled at the shackles with all her might. Their morphers lay on a table not far from them. 'We didn't do anything! It had to be Lothar!'  
  
'Yeah I'm going to believe you!' scoffed the Ranger.  
  
'Scan my mind!'' Cam said. 'You'll see the truth!'  
  
The Astral Ninja smiled and the red light flowed from his eyes into Cam's face. 'I think I will.'  
  
*** Kanoi focused and released his thoughts, so long as he caught the boy off guard he would succeed. Instantly he was inside and striking with the truth breaking the shadowy cloak Lothar had placed around the Ninja's minds.  
  
'Yes!' he said as he struck the core of the spell.and then he was thrown out.  
  
***  
  
The red and green wave rippled through the room. The morphers were engulfed in green and returned to the Rangers arms as they were pulled from the wall. The Astral Ninja was switching between black and white. Settling on white for a moment he looked at them. Green light whipped around them and shoved them. Hunter felt a whisper ooze into his brain from the mental tempest around them.  
  
'What's happening?' Tori exclaimed as telekinetic wind whipped her face. Splinters and dust swirled into a shape forming a small and hasty outline of a human glowing with green light. It pointed to the door, instructing them to leave in a hurry. 'It wants us to leave' Dustin stated.  
  
'We guessed that much' murmured Shane. The green light struck them and slapped them through the doors. The compound was shaking as the rangers rushed across the courtyard.  
  
'Hold it!'  
  
They looked up. Zurgane and a large group of Kelzacks were on the other side of the yard. Waiting for battle.  
  
'We don't have time for this!' Cam shouted. 'This place doesn't look stable.' 'Our ranger will do what he must' sighed Zurgane. 'He sees all'  
  
'Not after what our Sensei did to him!' Shane said. 'Let's go! We have to get out!'  
  
The Kelzacks and Rangers charged to meet one another.as they approached the earth trembled and split apart. The rangers and forces of Lothar pulled back.  
  
'RETREAT!' roared Zurgane. In a flash of teleportation light they were gone and had left the rangers to deal with the shattering Compound.  
  
'This is not good dude!' Dustin murmured.  
  
'Then let's run' suggested Cam. 'Fast and furiously out the gates'  
  
Hunter hesitated but decided Cam was right. Leaving someone to die didn't agree with him at all. But he had to go.you didn't argue with a telekinetic manifestation. It just wasn't done!'  
  
Swiftly darting out the gates they threw themselves away as the wave of dark green energy and violently bright red force burst from the compound. The light was so bright Shane swore, Tori gave a short gasp, Blake shouted, Dustin said something about the sun getting closer to Earth and Hunter and Cam both yelled the same thing at the same time.  
  
The compound was gone.as if it had never existed.  
  
'Freaky' Tori said. 'But handy when you have to rezone.'  
  
'Did you just make a joke?' asked Shane.  
  
'I guess so' said Tori. 'What happened?'  
  
'He just.vanished' Cam said. 'Some sort of psychic overload'  
  
'Bet he didn't foresee that' Hunter said.  
  
***  
  
The blade flitted forwards and nearly struck Zurgane. Lothar pulled the samurai sword from the wall near his general. 'I am most disappointed at this Zurgane' he hissed. 'He was a new lieutenant and a great weapon. Without him the Rangers will win!'  
  
'But they won even when he was part of the team' Marah pointed out.  
  
'Yes but he was reluctant and forced into foreseeing before. Working for us would have been perfect! He would not have withheld information!'  
  
Lothar punched a wall and sent shockwaves through the room. Kapri and Marah looked at one another nervously. 'Well.uncle.there's someone else we.have as a candidate for a lieutenant.' Kapri swallowed. Marah nodded dumbly.  
  
'Our trainer!' she squeaked as her uncle blazed about the room. 'She taught us all sorts of new moves!'  
  
Lothar paused. 'Bring her here' he decided. 'If she fails I can at least use her against them'.  
  
***  
  
'The Academy of Astral Ninja's has vanished off the face of the Earth' CyberCam announced. 'As in, nada to be found, zilch on the search sweep' 'When I attempted to free the boy.I inadvertently set off a chain reaction to his mind and released.something. His powers gripped the school and that was the end of it all, without any trouble the Academy vanished. I do not know where to but I doubt he will return to plague us.  
  
Hunter's eyes widened. 'When I was in his storm with you guys.I felt something. He said something, thought it and I picked up on it'  
  
'What?' Shane asked. 'Anything useful?'  
  
Hunter tried to catch the elusive though but it was like and oiled eel and he just could- 'Kelly!' he exclaimed. 'Storm Chargers! A trap!'  
  
Sensei looked at them. 'Go! You must stop anyone from being harmed!'  
  
'Got that already Dad' Cam sighed as he darted towards the portal with the others. Sensei prayed that there would be no death today.he prayed with all his heart that no lives would be lost to Lothar corrupting an innocent young man.  
  
***  
  
Kelly looked at the strange balloon. It was black white, an ovular yin- yang shape. She sighed as she walked forwards to take it, the balloon had been floating at chest level but abruptly floated up on red and green strings. She groaned and looked for the stepladder leaning on a wall. Folding it out beneath the balloon she climbed a step shakily and swiped at the shape. It floated away and up.  
  
'This has been a world class crappy day' she groaned. Resetting the ladder she was about to get onto it when Blake skidded in the door. 'About time!' she exclaimed and glared at him. 'Where have you been?'  
  
'Family emergency' he explained. 'Uhh.what are you doing?'  
  
'Someone let a balloon in.'  
  
'I'll get it!' exclaimed Blake. 'Best I start working now!'  
  
Kelly looked at him cynically. 'Fine, by the way you see JJ?'  
  
'Nope' Blake said moving the ladder. 'Why?'  
  
'Never mind' Kelly shrugged. 'Just hoping he was somewhere. He's a really big time slacker.'  
  
And with that she whipped out the door. Breathing out Blake looked at the balloon; he didn't know what it was. A bomb? A mental trap? Annoying?  
  
He took out a small portable fan and turned the battery-operated machine on. The small breeze poked the balloon out the door with minimal coaxing.  
  
Tori stood in the alley out behind Storm Chargers in full ranger gear. The balloon floated upwards and Tori aimed her blaster. 'Cover your ears Blake' she suggested. Cam held up a small camera aimed at the rising balloon, it scanned it. 'Bomb' he announced. Shane and Dustin stood at the sides of the alley standing guard while Hunter guarded the door to Storm Chargers.  
  
'Fire in the hole' Tori murmured as she fired. The blast of energy destroyed the balloon creating a cloud of flame so big the sky flashed amber. 'Now that's a little overkill on the pop!' Hunter exclaimed.  
  
***  
  
Lothar smirked as he watched the Rangers spread out to return home. They had no idea what was coming next.his new General made Beevil look like a flower girl and she'd fix them for all they'd done to his plans.  
  
***  
  
Blake sipped the soda as he relaxed against the vending machine. 'Hey' Cameron was standing in the doorway of the storeroom. 'I wanted to apologize for the way I was so short tempered with you in the control room yesterday.I was just a little cranky that the system crashed'  
  
Hunter swallowed his mouthful of soda and nodded. 'I shouldn't have been messing around with your computers anyway.sorry.'  
  
There was an awkward silence before Hunter looked up brightly. 'Do you want to go get, like, a coffee or something?'  
  
'Sure' shrugged Cam. 'D-do you want me to ask anyone else for you?'  
  
'Sure.if you want' Hunter said with a murmur. 'I.I'll probably ask Blake and he'll ask Tori and she'll ask Dustin, who'll ask Shane and everyone will come.'  
  
'Wanna skip the coffee and just go to the track?' Cam asked.  
  
Hunter nodded with a small smile. 'Why not, you really need to brush up on.everything Motocross related.'  
  
Cam rolled his eyes and looked at the blonde young man. 'Well, I'm getting better at it lately. I might surprise you' he said shortly.  
  
'We'll see' Hunter said as he looked at his watch. 'I'll meet up with you there in about half-an-hour?'  
  
'Okay' nodded Cam. 'But I'll win'  
  
'In your dreams' laughed Hunter as he went back to work. 'See you in a while, guy in denial'  
  
***  
  
Cam walked down the street and into the Mall. The glass roof overhead with brightly lit by the sun of the afternoon. The splash of the large multi- tiered fountain was one of the few sounds in the relatively empty mall. Everyone was at work or the beach, and Cam wished he could be too. He didn't want to head back to Ninja Ops and play Gin Rummy with his father and Cyber Cam. He had a suspicion they both cheated in one way or another.  
  
'Help! Someone Help Me!'  
  
He twisted on the spot. A girl in dark red jeans, a leather jacket and black turtleneck top was running away from the two men, screaming. He hair was elaborately tied up into a somewhat spiky sort of ponytail like a crown at the back of her head with two strands dangling on her forehead. Her black boots clattered along the tiled floor, and then she slipped beside the fountain.  
  
The men wrenched her to her feet and tried to pull the book out of her hands. She screamed again. Cam took off and leapt at them. Spinning around he caught one in the stomach with a kick. He fell back as Cam slammed two punches into the second guy and grabbed his arm, throwing him over his body onto the ground and kicking him squarely in the stomach to keep him down.  
  
The other man pulled a knife from his belt. The girl gave a shriek and brought her leg into his ribs, he buckled as she fluidly spun downwards and around using the back of her leg to sweep the legs from under him. He toppled down and kissed the tiles forcefully.  
  
'Thank you!' the girl exclaimed as she threw her arms around him and held him tightly. 'You save me and my book!'  
  
He looked at the large leather-bound tome in her arms. The scuffed leather indicated how old it was and a stain that looked like blood was very prominent on the back. 'Why did they go after that?' he asked.  
  
She looked at him with phenomenally green eyes. 'It's the book of Mara- Ishii. The kunoichi of the Echo Lotus. I must hide it! I am telling you this because I trust you. You must hide this tome away from the evil chasing it. They will follow me but not the book.'  
  
She handed it to him and looked around. 'You'll see me about' she said quickly. 'I will try to speak with you when it is safe'  
  
She twisted on her heel and darted away from the silent Cam. 'Wait! It's dangerous!' She said nothing as she vanished out the doors of the mall. Cam forced his feet to move and rushed after her. The car park was empty, not a sign of her and no sounds of a scuffle of any sort. With a whispered curse he opened his communicator.  
  
***  
  
'The Book of Mara-Ishii has vanished off the scanners!' exclaimed Lothar. 'Without a doubt' his new general said. 'The Ninja Academy has a cloaking field around it. But I will find it, it cannot hide from me, you know this. The rangers may have its secrets now but I will ensure they don't live long enough to use them all'. Lothar's lips pursed into a cruel smile. As the generals departed Zurgane lingered back.  
  
'Sir, the newest general is.I don't trust.'  
  
'I do not care!' Lothar said. 'Marah and Kapri have benefited from training under this one and a more ruthless being will not be found.after your failure to retrieve the Astral Ninja an outburst against my judgement would be most unwise'  
  
Zurgane shivered and sidled out of the room slowly, unwilling to meet the burning gaze of his master.  
  
***  
  
'Hey Tori!' Blake exclaimed. He rushed up behind her as she stepped out of the surf, the white foam parting around her feet and reversing into the sea from whence it came. She smiled to see him approach her.  
  
'Hey!' she said. He nudged the sand with a barefoot. His shoes were clutched in his hand. 'What's up?'  
  
'Oh.nothing' Blake stammered.  
  
'Really? Looks more like you have something on your mind' Tori smiled.  
  
'It's the Astral Ninja.I know it was only yesterday that we defeated him but I feel we let him down by not freeing him.I mean.what happened? What did the Sensei do to his mind?'  
  
Tori frowned. 'He didn't mean to.'  
  
'I didn't say he did it on purpose!' exclaimed Blake. 'But.last night.I felt like we could have done more.and now he's dead.'  
  
The short whisper at the edge of his voice was hoarse with regret. Tori put her arm around his shoulders and squeezed him into her wet body. 'It's okay' she said in a hushed voice. 'We wanted to help him but. we couldn't.'  
  
***  
  
Marah sat on the bench in her human garb. The Motocross rally was impressive, she watched Dustin rise over the sharp ramp and land on the other side swiftly. Her heart was fluttering? How? It was like.like.like nothing she had ever experienced before.she wished she could tell him.Kapri was suspecting Marah of feeling something for the Ranger since she blasted her for saying Marah had betrayed his trust.  
  
'Hot Dog?'  
  
She looked up at the bearded man in the Trench coat offering her the mustard and ketchup covered hot dog. 'Thank you but.'  
  
The man's eyes morphed. Turning into bright green light with slit pupils, they were like a cat's or a snake's. 'Diaboli---' she was cut off from saying the generals name as a familiar shape walked by. The Navy Thunder Ranger and Dustin!  
  
'You're drooling' the man said. He handed her the napkin and she frowned.  
  
'Diabo! That's so mean!!'  
  
'Call me D' sighed the shape-shifting general. 'We've known one another long enough. I presume you're watching the Ranger for a chance to attack?'  
  
Marah nodded slowly biting into the hotdog. 'I-I am. He's always with his friends, except when he's Motocross-ing.'  
  
D shook its head. 'I'm not like my parents Marah, they were truly great, incredibly insightful.skilled to a fault. Now I am what I am. I do not lie that I have a soul, a heart and feelings. But my heart is made of purest diamond ice, flawless like a diamond and as cold as ice. One day you will understand that a Ranger will only break your heart.they will use you and dispose of you, they are not as squeaky clean as you believe and always have but one female member. Trusting yourself to one is suicide.'  
  
The man finished the hotdog swiftly. 'I believe you are watching him and learning as I trained you, but do not chose the path of heart. You must be cool and calculating as I am. Subdue your emotions and find focus'  
  
Marah watched D walk away, a group of people walked across her line of vision and when they were gone so was D.  
  
((I wish I could learn that trick!)) Marah grunted as she turned to watch the Navy and Yellow rangers talking by a snack cart. The Red Ranger approached them and spoke hurriedly in a hushed voice. Marah focused her senses on them and began to hear their words.  
  
'---Cam was working all night---Ishii and some sort of spell for---could use it' Shane said to his friends. Blake nodded slowly.  
  
'---Is like, totally a bad time! I have a race in like three minutes--- wait a few?' Blake laughed. 'Join us later---soon!'  
  
Dustin waved his friends off and Marah found herself to have crept up near the cart where he was, her face obscured by a copy of "Ladies Sports". He turned around and walked straight into her. Scrambling furiously she stood up and turned away to get her magazine, abruptly she realized he was now level with her backside. She twirled playing with her hair so it obscured her face. 'So sorry' she exclaimed. 'My fault' 'Now it was mine' Dustin said. He wired around to see her face but she continued to look away, her hair cloaking her mouth and face. 'Do I know you?'  
  
'Emmmmmm.No.I am-a from Sveeden! I just-en transferred-en to ahhh-dee-- emm school-err--en and I am a big fan of Motocross.Scoosen me!'  
  
She turned away to escape. He laid a hand on her shoulder. 'Wait' he said.  
  
'HEEEEEEEYAAAAA!' she shrieked on reflex and judo tossed him across the grass. He landed with a grunt and she gasped in shock. 'Sorry! Reflex!'  
  
She grabbed a balloon from a vendor. He opened his mouth to protest but with a newly learned Spell of Influence she dissuaded any words in his mouth from jumping onto his diving board tongue.  
  
'I have to go' she insisted and turned to leave. He darted in front of her and found himself face to face with a large red balloon. 'Can I at least get the name of a judo specialist?'  
  
'Err.Margo!'  
  
'Margo?' he repeated.  
  
And she was gone, dashing like a madwoman across the fields, her brown hair flowing behind her like a kite. Dustin breathed out. 'What a woman.'  
  
***  
  
'The book details secrets of the Shadow, Thunder, Wind and Astral Ninja' explained Kanoi. The guinea pig hastily slapped Dustin's hand away from the snacks in the paper bag. 'And some of the other academies that did not survive.They are many but written in such an ancient tongue.I do not understand what they read.'  
  
'I'm totally trying a rad new program' Cam said. Everyone stared at him.  
  
'That's the fake me' the tired reply came from beneath the console. Cam rolled out holding some sort of component. 'I thought I'd lost it!'  
  
He raised the penny sized black plastic circle with the blue dot in the core. 'This ought to tell us who our mystery woman---girl is!'  
  
He slid it into a pair of metal pincers and tapped some keys. The pincers flashed blue and the data ran onto the screen creating an accurate high- resolution picture. The slender young lady was pretty even Blake stared much to Tori's chagrin.  
  
'Hello!' breathed Shane.  
  
'I'll run a scan for an ID' said CyberCam. 'This babeliscious piece of honey cannot be unnoticed!'  
  
Shane, Dustin, Cam, Hunter and Blake nodded dumbly as the glowing green eyes locked with theirs, so innocent and fearful.  
  
Tori yawned and stretched in an exaggerated manner before firmly placing her foot on Hunters flank and pushing the men down into a heap on the ground. 'Whoopsy, silly me' she growled.  
  
Sensei chuckled. 'We must find this girl and help her, Lothar is undoubtedly chasing her and I sense a great evil that might be a harp to her'  
  
'Then let's not waste anytime!' Shane exclaimed. He darted fro the portal and pasued. 'Uhh wait.where do we look?'  
  
***  
  
Kapri straightened the brown beehive wig she sported. Her pink suit and bag were perfectly prim and clean. She knocked on the door and smiled as it opened. 'Hello I'm Miss Moss from the Tupperware-and-Beauty group in the PTA where your child attends school.'  
  
'Oh' the woman at the doors said. 'I see.well I don't know how you found me out here.but please step in'  
  
Kapri stepped into the rented apartment with her smile still vibrant. 'What can I do for you?'  
  
'Well, we just wanted to invite you to a small socialiser for all the parents in the school'  
  
'Well, you've come a long way to find me in Angel Grove; I know I haven't been back to California in three months. But my son is perfectly able to accept that this is an important conference for me. It will be over soon.'  
  
'We know!' Kapri exclaimed. 'But we simply must explain that it's a special ceremony for the.Students.achievements.in.the field of.of.of.' her brow wrinkled with effort. 'Participation in the Academic and Athletic quadrants and your sons excellent behaviour is exemplary. Its also a night for their volunteer work to be recognized.so I said to myself, Miss Moss, why shouldn't a mother be notified of her sons up and coming appraisal? So I hopped in my car and sped out here to make sure you knew!'  
  
'I see.well I might need to take the workload with me.but for Shane I'll try' the woman decided. With a smile Miss Moss shook the unwitting Mother's hand and handed her the invitation. Provided D did the hypnosis on the principal this would all work out.  
  
'We can't wait to see you soon Mrs Clarke!' she said as a shark's smile slid onto her face, transforming the one she had worn before.  
  
***  
  
TBC: So! Shane's mother is a target.Oh that is mean! Kapri needs a fella, she's jealous that Marah nearly had one in my view. Well one of them needed to be evil. I swear mystery ranger is not dead! But he's not someone y'all know. He's a link to the old rangers and people pasts. I do enjoy a good confusing remark and a few OC's. Now I have to go and polish off my metal terminator soldiers.me like me war machines (in moderation). Review this please because I want to hear about couples, weird as you like and anything you found funny or pointless, even just parts you liked in any chapters. I know it's awful but years of people telling me have resulted in a slightly unpleasant personality-switching thing, I fly off the handle abruptly. Hence I will hit flamers. Comprende? I will be keeping mystery girl, who will return later on. Crimson Nova placed an interesting Idea down for a couple Kapri and Shane? Also my friend is pressuring me about Cam and Hunter! Someone send me ideas.PS next chapter old rangers! Well as I ponder please send in comments and even some thoughts on your favourite parts.  
  
The Fallen Angel's Overlord.OUT!  
  
Hunter: Anyone here?  
  
Overlord: They're all out looking for Mystery Girl  
  
Hunter: Oh.  
  
Overlord: But there's someone around here you can talk to.  
  
Hunter: Are you trying to lure me to the crocodile pit?  
  
Overlord: That's in my East wing; no here I have sock puppets  
  
Hunter: (shudder) Whom do I talk to?  
  
Overlord: Watch and learn Grass-flopper  
  
Hunter: Yeesh! You are crazy!  
  
Overlord: Wull.D'UH! 


	4. Matriarch Gone

TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY: 4  
  
Matriarch Gone  
  
Marah and Kapri looked to their trainer standing before their uncle. Matriarchus was a formidably shaped woman. She had large cuffs and broad folds on her tall boots. Her skin was gold and she wore a headdress like a peacock with bronze feathers. Her eyes were bright red and her bronze breastplate was decorated with Medusas head.  
  
'Are you sure this plan will work?'  
  
'Positive, my aid has never failed me' she said with a syrupy tone. 'In fact my aid has already put my plan into action.I have already formed a plan to destroy the rangers!' The doors opened behind her and a shape strode forwards. 'You are aware of who Vypra is.'  
  
'She was destroyed' Zurgane exclaimed. 'Twice!'  
  
'But I'm not her' Vypra purred. 'Address me as Vypra-D for now.in fact whatever form I take I am D.for death, destruction and despair'  
  
'I don't follow' Lothar grunted.  
  
'My ward can take on the appearance of any living thing.and other things as well. not that it's the only trick The Demon possesses.'  
  
Vypra-D curled a finger in her hair. She paused, as her eyes became bright green with black slit pupils. 'Oh my' she said. 'It seems we may have a problem.Rangers!'  
  
'It was only a matter of time' growled Matriarchus. 'We will go and continue. Marah, Kapri, busy the rangers. Demonic-Vypra, attend to that other matter.'  
  
The women nodded and vanished as Matriarchus turned to Lothar. 'Watch m'liege as I destroy the Rangers for you'  
  
'Interesting' Lothar murmured. 'You have initiative'  
  
'Maybe we can get some things done now!' exclaimed Zurgane.  
  
'Yes darling, we will' cackled Matriarchus as she vanished turning into pink and orange ribbons of light around a ball of golden light. She vanished.  
  
***  
  
Greta stepped off the train and looked at her assistant. 'Jason!' she sighed. 'It's all right I can carry my own bags!'  
  
The tanned young man was balancing her luggage on his broad shoulders. She reminded him so much of her son, desperate to be the best, the leader.  
  
'No Greta' he said. 'It's all right'  
  
With her business case in her hands Greta strode along the platform. 'It was very clever of you to think that up, I wonder how that plane was cancelled so abruptly. But the train ride was entertaining.'  
  
'Yup' Jason said as a pair of girls giggled at him.  
  
'You've been a real Angel these past few weeks. And you know I chose you for the excellent work you did in Switzerland. It's a pity you'll be out of your internship in a few months.or so.' Greta stopped and looked over her shoulder, Jason was picking up a dropped bag and getting stared at with dinner-plate sized eyes now in the girls' heads. 'You need to get out more often' she said as Jason caught up.  
  
'I.uhh I know' Jason sighed.  
  
'You've had.what? Two girlfriends in four years? I must say that it's not good for a young man to have such short lived and infrequent relationships.'  
  
'Nah.I wanted to be with someone.but she was spoken for.I haven't seen her in years.'  
  
'Trini?' asked Greta with a smile.  
  
'No.you don't know her' Jason mumbled. With a light laugh on her lips Greta opened her bag and took out a phone. 'I'm just going to call my son.give me a moment'  
  
***  
  
Kimberly Anne Hart groaned as she dragged her wheeled case along. She held her hat down on her head in the wind outside the airport. She was dressed in a red sundress and heels. 'Hey!' she hailed the cab with a rather unladylike whistle. It pulled up and the driver put her bags in the boot.  
  
She sat in and the driver pulled off as she shut the door.  
  
'So' the man grunted. 'You in town for long?'  
  
'Sort of' she shrugged. 'I'm pretty much alone here for now, any good hotels around?'  
  
'There's the Harbour Hotel' the man said. 'Good neighbourhood and four stars.if you can afford it.'  
  
'I can, believe it' Kimberly said. 'I'm here to do work.'  
  
'Really what are you a model?'  
  
'No, I'm a gymnast.okay so I'm also a special FX and make-up artist for the monster movies, which is why I'm here but.you can't leave behind an Olympic Silver and Pan Global Gold.'  
  
'I'm impressed' the man said. 'Here we are' he added as he pulled up at the Hotel and got out. Kim looked at the Hotel. It was big, on a main street like something in New York or another major city, but this was California, even if it was only Blue Bay Harbour.  
  
'Have a nice stay' the Taxi driver said from his seat. Kim waved him away. ((Well, this is a good start))  
  
***  
  
'Idiot!' Matriarchus slapped Vypra-D across the room. 'You lost the Mara- Ishii? Idiot demon.'  
  
Vypra-D picked herself up. 'I did what I could. I sent those Pathetic Kelzacks after the thief!'  
  
'And yet.' Matriarchus sneered. 'The Arcane book is gone.you are useless! Well we can't interfere with the plan now. We must let it run its course'  
  
She glared at her aid. 'Get working, track that book, you're the only one who can! NOW!'  
  
'It's not like they can read the symbols' snipped Vypra-D. Her mistress vanished and left the woman standing in the museum. Her shape shifted again and she turned into a tourist, a short stocky man with grey hair. She put out her hand and a camera materialized. 'Oh well, what can you do?' she muttered.  
  
***  
  
Cam walked down the street. Hunter was on the other side of the road; he glanced at Cam, throwing his eyes in the direction of a petit girl with black hair. Cam shook his head and continued searching. They had set on the search of girls matching the MG (Mystery Gal, as Dustin called her) using Cam's ID program.  
  
'So how does the program work again?' Hunter asked, walking up beside Cam, his hands in his pockets and eyes that were searching for the girl.  
  
'It uses the street camera's to search for the girl using a photo- breakdown. It catches the outline of bone-structure on a person and then matches pigmentation to my micro-cameras picture. Then it sends the collections of most likely back to Ninja Ops and Cyber Cam gives us updates.'  
  
'Great' Hunter said. 'Guess Motocross-ing is out today?'  
  
'Motocross or saving the world.sorry but the less fun wins out' Cam said sharply. He paused. 'Hang on.' he squinted. 'That's her!'  
  
Hunter looked at the girl walking swiftly into the mall. When he looked back Cam was gone. Hunter rolled his eyes and chased after the shorter young man.  
  
***  
  
Kelly tapped the register buttons and looked up. 'JJ!' she exclaimed as the black haired young man entered. His dark eyes regarded her with semi- interest as he walked over to the counter and cracked his gum.  
  
'Hey, Kelly, I totally need a, like, advance on my pay'  
  
'JJ, you already go your pay for this fortnight' he took out a cigarette as she spoke and lit it up. He puffed the cloud into her face and she frowned. 'Knock it off JJ, I'm warning you'  
  
She suddenly realized just how alone she was in the shop. As she slowly sidled towards the heavy wrench she had left under the cash register JJ scowled. 'Just gimme the money Kelly' he grunted.  
  
'No JJ' she snapped. 'In fact.you're fired, get out!'  
  
Her authority did nothing JJ pulled a face of pure anger. 'You just wait! I'll show you once and for all!' he sneered. He twisted and stormed out of Storm Chargers with a scowl painted on his face. Kelly shivered as his words replayed in her mind.  
  
***  
  
The mugger brandished the butterfly knife at the young man. 'Come on give me the wallet little boy' he grinned.  
  
'I'm hardly little' was the icy reply. The boy had brown hair, bordering on black with sharp features and a pale skin colour, his hair was styled into spikes and the steely grey blue eyes darkly glimmered with malice. The man lunged. A firm hand grabbed his wrist and twisted the blade from his grubby tobacco stained fingers. A hand gripped him around the throat and he was shoved and spun in one move. He landed against the wall as the 17-year-old strode forwards.  
  
'This impresses me so much!' the guy said as the thug scrabbled to his feet. A spinning kick knocked the man down again. When he rose the boy grabbed his punch, twisted him around and in a slash slit his throat, blood gushing from the gaping mouth of the wound staining the boys shirt and hands.  
  
'Blood is always so hard to get out.of clothes.not people'  
  
Twisting the handle back over the blade he pocketed it and walked away from the dead mugger.  
  
***  
  
Tori and Blake wandered along the street. No sign of the girl.or at least none that matched Cam's picture.  
  
((It's unnerving to know he has that camera on him at all times)) Tori thought. 'See anyone?' Blake's calm voice brought her around.  
  
'No' she reported.  
  
'Hey.Tori'  
  
She looked at him. 'Yes?'  
  
'I've been thinking a lot about the Astral Ranger.you know how he captured Hunter but still did some good stuff.'  
  
'Yeah?' Tori moved closer running a hand along her bare midriff. It was getting cold wasn't it, or was she just nervous about being so close.she listened.  
  
((Okay, freak her out with the obsession you have about this guy.here goes))  
  
'Well, its like when Lothar controlled us.it was.it felt so awful. Hunter doesn't let on but he's upset about the guy dying.I mean he makes a connection with him and us.'  
  
'Maybe you guys have to just think about it. This guy was after us for something and it was your feelings.for the group and safety of the human race.that stopped you from harming anyone seriously.he tried to blow Kelly up with a balloon!'  
  
She paused and replayed the situation in her mind. She continued. 'The fact is that you have to think long and hard about how you could have helped. It was sudden, Sensei didn't mean to trigger the weird explosion thing.maybe if we'd had more time.'  
  
She was silenced as Blake pressed his lips to hers.  
  
((Oh! Oh my! He's kissing me in the middle of the st---shut up brain)) Tori's brain was switched off as she returned the gentle kiss. Blake held her close with a hand on her hip. Someone whistled but right now Tori was floating on air and didn't care.  
  
'Victoria Hanson!'  
  
That got her back from La-La-Land. Her mother stood behind her hands on her hips glaring with ice blue eyes. 'I assume you are aware that you're in the middle of the street!'  
  
Victoria's eyes drifted up. She winced; her mother was the lawyer in the offices above. Ten to one she'd seen everything.  
  
'Firstly' her mother said. 'You must learn about PDA's. Secondly this had better be a nice respectable young man.'  
  
The woman in the grey business suit levelled a gaze at Blake that he wasn't able to meet despite facing monsters; the blushing ranger was unable to meet the gaze of a mother. 'He is' Tori said defensively.  
  
'Good, well I'll see him at dinner tomorrow, eight.on time.' The woman gave a small gentle smile, like Tori's smiles.  
  
((Killmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillme)) Tori groaned inwardly.  
  
'Yes Mrs Hanson' Blake mumbled.  
  
The woman strode away with a smile and left Blake struggling to remove the crimson in his face.  
  
'Oh man' Tori murmured. 'Sorry about that.'  
  
'Umm.no it's okay.' Blake said. 'I.do.do you, y'know.not want me to go?' 'No I.uh.do you not want to come?' Tori asked brushing a strand of hair back off her face to rest behind her ear.  
  
'No I do' Blake said quickly. 'I.I just don't want.I mean.does this whole thing mean.would you like to start going out--- kind of?'  
  
'Uh.I guess.yeah' Tori said. Then there was an awkward silence.  
  
***  
  
'Nice place' decided Jason. He'd turned down Greta's invite to sleep on the fold out bed in her spare room. He said he'd be fine so she'd called in a favour at the Harbour Hotel, which was actually reasonable rates anyway, but she'd pointed out that there needed to be a room for him.or else.  
  
He put his sports bag down and checked in. It was nice to be in California, for some reason being home hadn't helped. Every turn he'd taken had reminded him of his past problems. Trini was in London with Zack (he was out of the closet and damn happy), she was writing a book about politics, to make the youth-of-today more aware.plus doing a whole lot in the field of Political Analysis. Her speeches had gotten her offers from a lot of senators as a speechwriter. Zack was teaching dance in an academy.  
  
Billy was on Aquitar helping build the place back up after the attack by Dark Spectres Forces. Tommy and Kat had moved in together and were living in Chicago. Rocky was.somewhere doing karate lessons. Aisha and Tanya were working in Africa to save the animals. Adam was studying psychology in Angel Grove but Jason hadn't seen him for a very long time.  
  
And Kim.Kim was nowhere in sight.  
  
Jason gave a wistful sigh and stepped into the elevator.  
  
***  
  
Marah and Kapri didn't get it. They were standing in the middle of the park, Kelzacks kicking over trashcans.it looked like the Rangers were ignoring them. it was grating the nerves Kapri still had left.  
  
To get a point across Marah blasted a tree. 'I swear they're doing this to irritate us!' 'And all the pedestrians have run away' agreed Kapri. 'So three more minutes, then we all go home'.  
  
***  
  
'She's fast' Hunter said as he followed the girl through the mall. She had spotted them and was now sprinting away from them. Cam was ahead of Hunter and focused on catching her.  
  
'Yeah' was all he said.  
  
The group of shoppers bustled out in a solid wall before the girl. 'Got her!' Cam said.  
  
The girl didn't stop running, but rather went at an angle and leapt. Planting a foot on the wall she kicked off and landed on the other side. Cam and Hunter just stared as she leapt over a hotdog cart landed on a bench and jumped onto the roof of the elevator.  
  
'Yeah.got her.' murmured Hunter. They dodged past the shoppers and stormed up the stairs as the girl leapt onto the floor, now people were staring. She ran for the stairs only to be cut off by the pair.  
  
'Hold on' Cam said as she looked at them with fearful eyes. She was wearing a black leather jacket, a pair of low, hip-hugging black jeans and a dark red top. She twisted and ran in the opposite direction. The boys followed. This time she was closer. Her black bobbed hair swinging behind her as she leapt and grabbed the sign outside a natural remedies shop. Swinging on it she let the boys pass under her before landing and running in the opposite direction.  
  
'Whoa!' Hunter gaped. 'That was weird!'  
  
'Come on!' Cam said.  
  
***  
  
Shane and Dustin strode towards Shane's house. 'So dude' Dustin said. 'I totally get why you _like_ skateboarding.but that still doesn't explain how it could, like, ever be better then Motocross.'  
  
'That's easy' said Shane. He never finished the argument. 'Mom?'  
  
His mother waved from the porch and Shane took off to greet her. She uttered a happy and startled little yelp as he hugged her. 'Calm down Shane! Oh my goodness.Waldo! It's been too long!'  
  
Dustin gave a slow grin ignoring his name. 'Hey Mrs C' he said.  
  
'Come inside for some Rice-Crispy Squares and Tang' she said. Shane stared before realizing his Mom was serious. Dustin nodded slowly and followed his friend in.  
  
***  
  
Kelly was in the back. Storm-Chargers was pretty slow today. The door slammed behind her, she froze. The sound of footsteps on the pavement was pretty unnerving. She spun around from putting the trash in the bin and stared. JJ was there, holding a knife.  
  
'Its payback time.Bitch!' he snarled.  
  
'JJ, put the knife down' she murmured as she took a step back. He moved towards her and she realized that she was backing into a dead end.  
  
((Dead, bad choice of words)) she swallowed.  
  
'I needed that money! Where the fuck do you get off not giving it to me?'  
  
((I sign the cheques)) she replied.  
  
'Well now I'm going to screw your life up.'  
  
'Bad idea'  
  
The hand grabbed JJ's arm and the other hand swung up under it to strike the stoned guy in the nose. JJ staggered back nose bleeding as the boy advanced. His hair was brown-blonde and his eyes were bright blue, scarily so.he blocked the right hook JJ swung and snapped a knee into his groin before grabbing the arm and judo tossing JJ to the ground. JJ got back up and found his knife. He slashed again, the guy pulled back and then lunged in with a jump as he snapped his feet out in an aerial double kick. JJ turned to at least stab Kelly. The firm hand planted itself on his shoulder and turned him around. The kick to his ribs slammed him into and off a dumpster.  
  
Kelly was breathing heavily. The shock was wearing off and she wasn't the type to stay down for long. Her hero scratched his neck and strode away.  
  
'Wait!' Kelly shouted. He paused and looked at her.  
  
'Thank you so much! How can I.' she froze in the middle of the cliché. 'Can I thank you somehow?'  
  
'Not in particular' he said with a sharp nod and vanished around the corner into the street.  
  
Kelly looked at the unconscious JJ. Then back at the place her saviour had just left with a shrug she walked into the shop to call the police.  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
Dustin: (weighing options on hands) Margo.Hazel.Marah.anyone got an extra hand?  
  
Overlord: he still hasn't figured out that Margo is Marah?  
  
Shane: Nope.  
  
Jason: So.do I have a part in this?  
  
Overlord: In a manner of speaking.watch and learn.Oh I am evil  
  
Kim: Yes, that large neon sign over your seat helps  
  
Overlord: Shaddup! Now for my ending it's a modest little.  
  
All: WE KNOW: MWAHAHAHAHAHA.DREAD ONE OUT (They vanish)  
  
Overlord: Nah-ah, no way do you steal my lines and keep your own.(pulls out an evil morpher) NINJA STORM RANGER FORM! 


	5. All Alone

TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY 5  
  
Sharp Tests  
  
Disclaimer: Baby no own Power Rangers at all! Now excuse me as I vaporize my slaves for their tragic work on my disclaimers summaries and total lack of ability. well as an evil overlord I can get away with that.  
  
Rating: PG-13 (It gets unpleasant later in the story)  
  
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance  
  
Cam and Hunter watched the girl move, she was faster then they'd expected. She leapt a bench followed by the pair. She zipped between people like lightening. Cam and Hunter kept after her.but she was gaining space. Hunter vanished into a crowd. ((Where the hell is he headed to?)) Grimaced Cam. The girl vaulted up the steps and ran along the second level balcony.straight into Hunter.  
  
She stared at him with fear in her eyes.  
  
'Calm down' he said in his most soothing voice. She twisted her hands in his grasp and suddenly was holding him above the hands. 'Stay away!' she exclaimed. She twisted on her feet and tossed him on top of Cam.  
  
'Hunter get off!' exclaimed Cam as the blonde mans breath fogged up his glasses. They chased the girl along the balcony. Suddenly she leapt onto the railing. 'Don't jump!' Cam shouted. The girl didn't hear him as she leapt off the balcony.  
  
Marah and Kapri strolled down the street with their bags on their arms in human appearance.  
  
'Nothing like a shopping spree to burn off the No-Show-Stand-Up-Fight Blues' sighed Kapri.  
  
'Yeah' shrugged Marah with a sigh. 'Hey.look!'  
  
She pointed; the Red and Yellow Rangers were looking around the street.  
  
'Hey lets try that trick D showed us!' Marah said. Her sister nodded and they stepped into the shade of the trees lining the street. The raised two fingers to their foreheads and focused. The light flared in their minds and the blue glow flickered around the Rangers heads.  
  
'They're looking for a girl! They stand us up to go "babe-searching", the NERVE!' Kapri exclaimed stepping out of Dustin's mind.  
  
'Did Dustin say that?' mumbled Marah as she removed herself from Shane's thoughts.  
  
'More or less' shrugged Kapri. 'Oh! LOOK! Half-price shoes!'  
  
Marah followed her sister towards the shoe shop casting a confused look at Dustin.  
  
====  
  
'So I, like, only saw her once, but she totally wiped me out' Dustin explained.  
  
Shane nodded as he swept a glance across the girls on a bench. 'This weird program only spots certain aspects of the girl.right?'  
  
'Yeah.Margo was a girl.from Sweden' Dustin sighed.  
  
'You're so desperate to talk about her you'll do anything to get her into a conversation'  
  
'I had a conversation with Margo' mumbled Dustin. And then came the noise.like a rolling thunder.followed closely by the crackle of electricity. The upper floors of a skyscraper erupted into flame, cascading out in waves of red-hot heat and glimmering shards of shattered glass.  
  
===  
  
Jason stared, the flame was pouring from the upper levels across the rode. Something shot across towards the building and broke through the window with a dull splatter followed by a small object. Jason looked down; he was standing in the waiting room of Greta's office.  
  
The secretary threw up. The corpse was charred and bloody, a bizarre rigor mortis held the body that was now folded in two-halves and missing the head by a very clean cut. Swallowing the taste of vomit Jason calmly helped the secretary up and into Greta's office.  
  
==  
  
'Dudes! Get to the Skyscraper Plaza ASAP!' CyberCam exclaimed over the links. 'Major explosions!'  
  
'Gotcha' Tori reported. 'Let's go!' she added to Blake.  
  
It took all of 2 minutes to get over there. Tori set to work with the water as Dustin and the Thunder Rangers sped through the building to free any trapped people. Cam was saving those trapped on the upper floors with his chopper.  
  
'The explosion was contained, and created by pure energy' he said reading Data off a screen. 'It seems to have only destroyed the CEO's office.weird.I'm getting a reading of someone alive in there.'  
  
The shape was a wavering black one on his screen.and then it was off, sprinting through the building with a form over its shoulder. It was carrying someone. 'Hey! Something's coming your way!' Cam said to Blake.  
  
In the hall Blake looked up from the woman he was carrying and her injured arm. 'What?'  
  
The white and black blur gusted past and down the hall. Blake staggered a little. 'Whoa! What was that?'  
  
=====  
  
The woman was laid before Tori she froze when she saw him.The White Astral Ranger!'  
  
'Are you---' she began.  
  
'Not now this woman needs help!' the White Ranger explained. 'She's been shielded from burns, she fainted from shock, she should be all right but for the bump on her head, it's close to the temple.'  
  
He put his hands out and the green light flowed from his hands and forehead. The visor fired the blast of light as the light from his hands revealed her aura.  
  
'Serious.she might die, it's a severe blow to the area near the temple.minor fracture.'  
  
The light intensified and the woman's eyes fluttered open as her cuts and bruises healed. 'Oh my.that strange young man.'  
  
The White Ranger rose. 'I have to stop him once and for all' he murmured.  
  
With that he sped off in a blur back into the building.  
  
'Cam!' Tori exclaimed. 'Where's he going?'  
  
'Top floor.' Cam replied. 'I've gotten everyone off.'  
  
There was a shriek of metal and the crash of shattering glass. The upper floor buckled in on itself.  
  
'He was in there!' Cam exclaimed.  
  
'And now he's not!' a dark voice echoed. 'Now he's gone!'  
  
The Black Astral Ranger stood on the roof of the Young UN building. 'So roll over and play dead!'  
  
He leapt off the building and landed, splintering the pavement stones. The sai appeared in his hands. 'Time to die Ranger!' he sneered. He sprinted forwards and slashed her repeatedly. She gave a shriek as the sparks flew and knocked her down. He raised the Sai in the air but a staff blocked it.  
  
'Not so fast!' Blake snapped.  
  
He spun and struck repeatedly and angrily into the Rangers torso. The Black Ranger leapt before another strike could land and balanced on the staff. 'That's so absolutely boring' he yawned and kicked Blake under the chin flipping away as Blake toppled to the ground.  
  
Shane and Dustin caught him and he had to catch the two blades with both his Sai, leaving his chest open for their twin kicks. The force slammed him off a wall and he recovered considerably angrier.  
  
He pointed his hands; the blast of red light sent the Rangers spinning upwards and slammed into the ground.  
  
'Stupid Rangers! You're on my list you see.'  
  
Cam slashed him across the back repeatedly and swiftly. Apparently the Samurai and Hunter had escaped notice. The Black Ranger turned and leapt, his legs shot up and out to knock Cam and Hunter away.  
  
'That annoys me to no end' he growled.  
  
Swiftly he attacked, blades twisting to strike with the blunt handles and sharp points with pinpoint accuracy.cam caught the blades on his staff and fired his blaster. The melee ended as the Black Ranger stumbled away and leaned on a wall to find his strength.  
  
'You're finished' Cam said swiping his blade down to his side. The Black Ranger laughed. Then Hunter heard it, the strange music, it was very, very familiar.a slow melody that had a haunting tune to it.why did he remember it? Perhaps it was something he'd picked up from the time the Astral Ninja had implanted the thoughts about the attempt to kill Kelly? He wasn't sure but the world was blurring now, he groaned loudly, Cam turned to face him. 'Are you okay Hunter?'  
  
'Just --- not good.'  
  
Hunter fell into Cam with a gasp as his vision swam and everything went black.  
  
===  
  
'Hello honey!' cooed a voice. Shane leapt and hurriedly pulled his sleeve over the bruise dominating his arm. He knew his healing would catch it up in a while but he couldn't let his Mom catch it.  
  
'Hi Mom!' he shouted. She strode from the kitchen.looking like something out of the sixties. He was expecting canned laughter and her to wink with the sound of jingling bells.  
  
Her hair was grown out to twice its original size, her dress stuck out at a 45 degree on all sides of her hips and she was wearing bright pinks. 'Whoa Mom, does Cher know you're stealing her hair?'  
  
'Silly, this is all the rage in motherly fashions!' she giggled. She firmly grasped his shoulder and steered him into the dining room to his right. He looked at the banquet laid out before him.  
  
'I've been such a terrible mother for leaving you, so I'm quitting my job to look after you 24-7'.  
  
Her smile sent shivers up Shane's spine. He nodded and made an excuse to go to the bathroom to secretly contact the others.  
  
====  
  
'Hunters fine' Cam said. 'Some sort of episode, the Astral Ninja must have induced it on him to distract us long enough to teleport out. He's a bit shaken but that's it.and he's vomiting.a lot.'  
  
'Good' Shane said. 'I have to go Mom's having an Episode all her own, I swear to you its like a Back-to-Back-Brady-Bunch-Bonanza here. On the bright side her aide's coming over and she told me he was an expert in karate.'  
  
'Good luck on that' Blake said from his brothers side.  
  
'You too' Shane said. 'Mrs Hanson's a bit intense.if she were a heat.well she'd make the sun look like the back of your freezer.'  
  
Blake shivered. Tori smiled. 'She'll love you' she said soothingly.  
  
'How sweat' Hunter said, seconds before unleashing a blast of vomit into the bucket in front of him.'  
  
===  
  
Shivering in the corner of the dark room the blonde young man shivered, a cold sweat slicking his body and forcing his t-shirt to cling to his chest.  
  
'N-n-not again' he gasped. He closed his eyes as everything went white.  
  
----Flashback----  
  
'You never told me! You never even told me he existed!' he screamed.  
  
'Calm down son, we had no choice; the entire incident must be put behind us.' his father said coolly.  
  
'I-I can't believe you did this! You are a control freak!'  
  
The lamp crashed to the ground and his fathers face blushed beetroot red. 'I insist on your obedience! GO TO YOUR ROOM!'  
  
The roar staggered the young man. 'I'm going out!' he retorted. 'Don't try and stop me!'  
  
'You'll do no such thing! You are going to your room; I will not have you cavorting about with those commoners!'  
  
'They're my Friends, Father, not that you have any!'  
  
'OUT! NOW!'  
  
Turning he stormed out past the Cheshire-cat-like grin of his sister.  
  
---End Flashback---  
  
'So, are my pumps any good?' asked Kapri raising her leg gently. 'I think they're perfect, the even slim my feet!'  
  
The fluffy pink slip-ons were sequined and tacky.but Kapri had still bought them despite all advice. Marah checked her new purse.  
  
'You're lucky you're allowed to go shopping' Demon said as it changed its shape to become Diabolico. 'I'm forbidden by Matriarchus to go to Earth unless she says I am allowed'  
  
'That is sooooo unfair!' shrilled Kapri. 'You should be allowed shop whenever you want. It's the American way'  
  
'I'm not American' remarked Diabolico-D. His hands brushed over the dagger on the table. They were seated in a meeting room. The dagger and its sheath lay on the table. It glowed with a green and black light.  
  
'Matriarchus will report in soon enough' muttered Diabolico-D. 'I hope she chokes on a large hamburger.or drumstick.or some other edible treat from Earth.'  
  
Marah shrugged and looked out the window. It was confusing sometimes. There was femininity about D, but an icy side that was neutral, and then a tough side that most men would kill for.so Marah had always referred to D in the gender D was in. Marah pulled out a pair of boots and slipped them on. D had given them the new costumes and helped them with the fighting.Matriarchus had trained them and D had helped out.  
  
'So did you find the book?' Kapri asked D, breaking Marah's line of thought.  
  
====  
  
'So how did you manage to lose the girl?' Tori asked as they strolled through the park. 'Wasn't she swooning with fear?'  
  
Cam and Hunter looked at one another. 'She escaped into the ladies room' sighed Hunter. 'But not after dropping seven shelves, two statues, three benches, several pedestrians and two food carts in our path.plus doing a few acrobatic tricks from a great height.you know that giant mobile in the mall?'  
  
'The one like a scrap-yard?' Blake asked. Cam nodded.  
  
'She climbed it like a spider then somersaulted off it onto an elevator and ran through a toy store.' Hunter elaborated.  
  
'Great' Dustin said. 'She's a total, like, flea.'  
  
The group walked in silence. There was nothing to say, each was busy with inner thoughts. The silence was finally broken by the sounds of teleportation.  
  
'Rangers' a voice echoed. The shape strode forwards, it was unmistakably Mototron, but at the same time it wasn't.because the movements were too fluid, too perfect. Then the real Mototron appeared, that tore it-- everything was weird.  
  
'Hello Rangers!' cackled the apparently genuine Mototron. 'Long time since our last fight!'  
  
'Mototron!' exclaimed Blake taking a fighting stance.  
  
'Yeah state the obvious why don't you?' the other Mototron said, morphing into Trakeena. 'Time to die! Now Mototron!'  
  
The beams lanced from Mototrons eyes and sent a rain of sparks through the air from the ground. The Ninja Storm rangers fell aside. Forcing themselves up they transformed.  
  
'NINJA STORM RANGER FORM! HA!'  
  
Trakeena-D laughed as she watched the rangers prepare for battle. Cam stood before her. 'I'll take this one!' he shouted.  
  
'Great' cooed Trakeena-D. 'But your daddy isn't here.so you're sunk!'  
  
She extended her hands and the purple light formed into a staff. It was black with gold rings on it and topped with a fishhook like top that had a large red orb set in the golden scythe top. Dragons heads were shaped from the top of the staff at the point the scythe top began. Four heads each with glowing purple eyes. Every minute detail of the staff was evil.Trakeena-D definitely didn't clash with it.  
  
'Lets begin Samurai' she whispered.  
  
She slashed across his chest. He was too slow by a microseconds smallest fraction. He shot backwards as Trakeena-D strode forwards.her eyes blazed dark purple and the smokey black and violet light shot at him. Cam rolled aside as he heard Marah, Kapri, Mototron and the Kezlacks attacked his comrades. Hunter wasn't as fast as he usually was, during his "experience" he'd had a weird dream that was almost real, but he couldn't remember it.  
  
Cam slashed Trakeena-D and lunged again. 'I hope you have the Mara-Ishii' purred Trakeena-D. 'You'll need it soon'  
  
Cam was caught off guard, she knew about the book?  
  
'How do--What would you know?'  
  
'Well I can sense the book, and since its off my radar it must be in your base.so I'll have to find that and get the book'  
  
Cam's sword clashed with her staff. The force between the weapons was building. Trakeena-D grinned and she pivoted, the weapons shot into the air and landed a few feet away points first. Trakeena-D lunged in with a flurry of punches that Cam blocked. She spun and kicked him in the stomach. He shot backwards into a Cherry Blossom Tree. Trakeena-D dropped her hands to her sides and closed her eyes, a black aura flowed around her, and she slowly brought her arms up, the black cloak materialized from her hands and sides, like a black hole vortex that no light escaped. 'Prepare to DIE' she said. 'Because I really, really, _really_ hate RANGERS!' The swarm of vampire bats flew from the darkness of her cloak.  
  
'AH!' shouted Cam. The shape blurred forwards and dived on him. He was rolled along under the person he landed with a grunt as the bats devoured the tree. He looked up at his saviour. Three obvious things, Korean, black hair, good person, all he gathered from the eyes.  
  
'Are you okay?' the guy asked.  
  
'Yeah' Cam said sitting up. 'Thanks'  
  
'No problem Green Ranger' grinned Adam. 'I used to be a Green Ranger too.and a Black ranger.don't ask'  
  
He flipped to his feet as Trakeena-D turned to face him. 'That was a stupid move!' she spat. 'No one interferes with my kills!'  
  
She sniffed. 'Ah but that mixture of scents leaves only one conclusion.a ranger.black _and_ green? Wow, I'm impressed.well as far as I can be with a pathetic being like you'  
  
She pointed her hands and the blue and black flames sped through the air. Cam and Adam leapt apart as the flames blew a crater in the ground.  
  
'Hey! D! Look! I'm beating him!' Marah called as she kicked Dustin into a tree. 'Great work!' D shouted. 'Now regroup!'  
  
She pointed her hands and the black lightening curled around Adam and Cam. The energy tendrils tossed them to the other Rangers.  
  
'All lined up' purred Trakeena-D. 'This is the end!'  
  
'You know you sound like Ivy from Soul Calibur' a voice said. The red bag connected with her face and toppled her.  
  
'Don't worry guys I got her!'  
  
'Rocky?' Adam exclaimed.  
  
The ex-Ranger grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. 'In the gorgeous flesh'  
  
'So, this guy is and ex-Ranger?' Cam asked.  
  
'Yeah, the ex-Red' Adam said. 'And blue'  
  
'You guys, like, time-share or something?' Dustin asked.  
  
'Speaking of Ivy' Trakeena-D said. 'I love that game!'  
  
The chainlink whip coiled around Rocky's torso tightly and sent him spinning like a top into a tree. Laughing Trakeena-D transformed into Goldar. 'It's been real Rangers, say good bye!'  
  
Goldar-D put his hand out, palm up, fingers straightened. He blew, the silver powder formed a small ring in the air. With a small blow Goldar-D sent his hissing upwards, it then came down trapping the rangers in a columnb of flame.  
  
'In a few minutes that column will constrict.and its all over! Ciao'  
  
'I love this job' Mototron grinned.  
  
'Kudos to you' sneered D. The villains teleported out leaving the Rangers and Adam trapped in a tall ring of flame that was slowly closing in.  
  
'Rocky? ROCKY!' Adam shouted.  
  
'I'm okay' groaned a voice. 'Just-five-more---minutes---Mommy'  
  
Cam rolled his eyes. 'Typical, never a red ranger when you need one.'  
  
'This is not a good time to be bitter' Hunter snapped. 'Call Shane!'  
  
'Yeah, I'm on it' Cam snapped.  
  
The flames grew closer.  
  
TBC  
  
Okay reviews have been.non-existent since Chapter 1 so I guess I stink at writing, sorry my bad I suppose I'll discontinue. 


	6. Sharp Test

TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY 6  
  
Friends Fall  
  
Disclaimer: Power Rangers aren't mine. If they were things would be different (for instance the WildForce rangers wouldn't exist) but I DON'T OWN THEM AND DO NOT MAKE ANY MONEY OUT OF THIS  
  
Rating: PG-13 (It gets unpleasant later in the story)  
  
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance  
  
AUTHORS Note: Well, I got barely any reviews for this, one from AREH#1 gave me a boost to write this, still its rushed. I might redo it if I get a few reviews...I include a suggestion list for couples at the end thanks to my General (yaoi romance fanatic) so until I rule the world I'll be struggling to write and all reviews make that easier. TTFN.  
  
'Shane darling, where are you?' his mother cooed, her incredibly big dress barely fitting through hall, it was wide, short and ruffled with frills.  
  
'Just brushing my teeth Mom!' he called. He banged his head off the wall gently once more, his mother wasn't letting him leave...  
  
'Shane?'  
  
He looked at his morpher. 'Yeah Cam?'  
  
'Okay, long story short' Cam said. 'We've been trapped by the latest monster. We're in deep crap and have ex-rangers up to our ears...any chance you can help us befor eht fire vaporizes us?'  
  
'Fire?'  
  
Cam showed him an image of the constricting flame column.  
  
'Holy...Yeah I'm on my way!' Shane exclaimed. He opened the room to his door and nearly ran into his mother. 'MOM! Sheesh! Can you possibly not just stand there and scare me to death?'  
  
'Oh, darling!' she said. 'I was just going to guide you to dinner...'  
  
'I know where the dinner table is!' Shane said firmly. 'And I have to go out...'  
  
'Don't take that tone with me young man!' his mother exclaimed. 'I cook and clean and feed you, if your father were here! He'd be furious you took such a tone with me!'  
  
'Sorry Mom' Shane said calmly. 'But I left my homework at Dustin's house...'  
  
'I see' nodded his mother. 'Well, off you go, have to keep those grades up there!'  
  
Shane gave a small smile and edged past her. Once he was on the street he sprinted off and ran straight into a bronzed, muscular young man. 'Whoa! Sorry!' Shane yelped, his head aching and backside matching it. His morpher had come off. 'No trouble Shane' the guy said. 'How do you know my name?' Shane asked as he reached for the morpher.  
  
'You're mom has pictures of you. I'm Jason her assistant...' Jason paused, a trickle of understanding running into his mind as he spotted the morpher. 'That's a morpher' he said.  
  
Shane froze like a statue. 'Ehh...no...it's my watch'  
  
Jason was faster then Shane, he picked the device up and looked at it. 'Man, I never thought I'd meet another ranger'  
  
'Another?'  
  
Jason extended his hand and helped Shane up. 'I used to be the Red Tyrannosaur Ranger. And you?'  
  
'Red Ranger...wow, you were one of the first rangers on earth!' murmured Shane. Jason shrugged. 'Yeah, but I quit for the "glamour" of the Young UN.'  
  
'I have to go...my friends are in trouble!' Shane exclaimed.  
  
'Mind if I tag along?' Jason asked. 'I still have the ranger strength...'  
  
Shane hesitated for a minute. 'Okay, let's go!'  
  
======  
  
Trini Kwan looked around the hotel over her sunglasses. The porter was moving her bags for her. The waving figure caught her eye. She rushed over with a smile.  
  
'Kim!'  
  
'Trini!' she hugged the ex-Yellow ranger. 'It's great to see you! I was so glad to hear you'd been in town! How have you been?'  
  
'Majoring in Political sciences and languages' Trini shrugged. 'You?'  
  
'Movie work' Kim said with a nod. 'I like it, it's a little more...restful...'  
  
Trini nodded. 'I am famished, want to go out for a bite?'  
  
'Yeah' nodded Kim. 'We have a lot to catch up on!'  
  
Behind them an elderly woman's eyes flared purple. She rose and walked over to the elevators, stepping into an empty one and vanishing as the doors shut.  
  
==  
  
Goldar-D reappeared on the ship. His eyes burning angrily. 'Two more ex- rangers!' he reported angrily.  
  
Matriarchus hissed. 'Have you found the sword? Or at least the book?'  
  
'Not yet' Goldar-D said. 'They've got it cloaked in their academy. I'm going to try and get it back forcefully. We still have that bargaining chip...'  
  
'NOT GOOD ENOUGH!' Lothar roared. 'If the book is in the possession of my blasted brother and his students I cannot waste time. We must get it back!'  
  
'The secrets are many, we cannot allow them to be deciphered' Shimazu said. 'A foolish thing would be to leave it in their possession'  
  
'With such weak things as the Kezlacks I amn't surprised they still have the book' Goldar-D rasped. 'Also...the Black Astral Ranger...'  
  
'He's alive' nodded Lothar. 'I'll not try and recapture him, he's more useful on his own...for now...whatever he does to the Crimson Ranger is excellent...very useful'  
  
Kapri looked at the mirror Matriarchus held, the ornate frame shaped into a mass of snakes. 'The red rangers are making their way to the park' she snapped. 'We'll have to hurry, my students should finish work on the caves, because I want the sword!'  
  
Lothar cast a cold glance to the female monster as she shimmered away. 'I don't like her...' he growled.  
  
'No one does' Goldar-D sneered as he transformed into Scorpiona. 'So get in line'.  
  
In a blast of darkness and purple lightening she was gone and followed soon after by Marah and Kapri. Zurgane spoke up. 'I don't trust Matriarchus...' he reported.  
  
'Neither do I, but we need that book...' he lifted his PAM and in a few seconds there was a new monster standing before him. It was green skinned with artichoke like plates around its head, its eyes were bloody red and its chest was a dark green pad of steel. It wore a kind of kilt with hand patterns on it.  
  
'I am Kiltachoke!' it snarled. 'Name it and it shall be done!'  
  
Lothar yawned. 'Find the Mara-Ishii' he instructed. 'I want it returned to this place, brought to us and given to me directly!'  
  
The monster gave a few more babbles of praise and vanished. Lothar sat down and pressed a button. 'I need to watch something on the screen'.  
  
===  
  
The silver flames were constricting. Tori netted her fingers in Blakes. 'Guess dinner's cancelled!' she squeaked. 'Mom will flip if you don't turn up.'  
  
'Wow, meet the parents stage' admired Dustin. 'That's totally cool dude, didn't know you were, like, that serious'  
  
'Well I guess we know now' smiled Cam. 'AND WE'RE ABOUT TO GET FRENCH TOASTED!'  
  
'Calm down!' Hunter exclaimed. 'If we don't find a way out I'll...I'll'  
  
'Let me guess, kiss the guy in the green?'  
  
The girl ran along the path of the park up to the pillar of silver fire. Cam's eyes widened it was the girl with the book! 'Hey!' he exclaimed.  
  
'I'm not here to make things worse, this is a Do-shun disk, potent Chinese Spell Circle the symbols say that there is another seal to destroy to free you'  
  
She stepped back and looked around. 'There!' she exclaimed, pointing at the glowing shape, a Chinese spell circle like the one the rangers stood on floating with a glowing symbol in the middle. It was up near the very top of the column. 'Damn, I can't hit that!'  
  
'But I can!' exclaimed a voice. Shane's blaster fired, striking the circle, for an instant the shape blazed like a second sun. And then it stopped, fading into nothingness. The flames vanished, inches from the rangers. 'That was too close' Blake gasped.  
  
The girl nodded and looked around. 'Heads up!' she shouted. She reached into her satchel and pulled a handful off shuriken from the front pocket and hurled them at thje shapes.  
  
Matriarchus cackled maniacally and raised her hand, the yellow wall deflected the shuriken back at the girl. She somersaulted over them expertly. A small red book fell from her bag as she twisted in the air.  
  
Jason surged forwards from behind Shane where he'd gone unnoticed. 'And I thought I was retired' he grimaced.  
  
'Jason! Jason Lee!' exclaimed Adam. 'The first ever red ranger...well on Earth for a few hundred years anyway...'  
  
Matriarchus hurled a ball of golden light at him; he dived off to one side and a mass of multicoloured coral rose up where the orb struck. 'Stay still you annoying little pest!' she hissed.  
  
Jason shook his head and performed a flying kick into her ribs. She shrieked and fell backwards. The heavy branch smashed down on her as she rolled back to her feet. Rocky brushed the small smear of blood out of his hair; he was bleeding in the brown of his locks. 'Man, you already missed your friends!' he groaned.  
  
'But I have plenty of Frrrrrrrrrriends!' she purred. 'See?'  
  
The Kelzacks appeared. 'Wow, you keep bad company' Rocky said as he darted past her to join up with Jason and Adam. 'Well that's not all she's got' a voice cackled; Shimazu, Mototron, Zurgane, Kapri and Marah appeared. Kapri had spoken.  
  
'yeah, bad company' Shane said. 'Ready guys?'  
  
'Ready!' the others chorused. Adam, Rocky and Jason lined up, ready for a fight, jaws set in the dusk-darkness of the park. Cam looked around and realized the girl was gone. 'Coward' he grumbled.  
  
'Hello everybody!' cackled a voice. Scorpiona-D strode forwards. 'Kiltachoke! Now! Attack!'  
  
'Ach Aye!' exclaimed the monster, in a crackle of green light and a flurry of lights shaped like his body plates he appeared. 'Here ye go!' he exclaimed. Sharp blades of green launched at the rangers, hissing through the air sharply and accurately.  
  
The clash of sparks launched the rangers around the place. Shane landed on his feet and charged at Matriarchus. She caught his slash on her staff. 'I'm Matriarchus, the new general!' she laughed. 'AND YOUR EXECUTIONER!'  
  
She knocked his blade off and slammed the other end of her staff into his gut before jetting at him, catching him in her arms and slamming him into a bench, shattering the painted wood.  
  
=========  
  
Marah and Dustin circled, still not attacking. 'Surrender ranger' she warned. 'Or I'll have to hurt you a lot...'  
  
'You may think so' Dustin said. 'But I totally don't see it happening...'  
  
Neither moved. 'Don't make me hurt you' she pleaded. 'It would hurt me more...'  
  
Dustin didn't move, but neither did she.  
  
'I have to stop you' he murmured hoarsely. She nodded. 'I don't want to hurt you Marah you're too pretty to hurt...' he froze when he heard those words from his mouth. Marah blushed.  
  
======  
  
Cam and Hunter were back to back, fighting off the Kelzacks. They moved together, working in unison to slice away the opponents. Scorpiona-D was leaning on a tree as the rangers destroying the Kelzacks. Matriarchus had dragged Shane away from his friends, Adam, Rock and Jason...well they were easy targets. Raising her scythe she aimed a blast of purple at them.  
  
'OH NO YOU DON'T!' shouted to voices. The girls attacked and knocked Scorpiona-D into the tree, her scythe scittered along the path. She groaned and leapt to her feet. Trini landed a kick on the woman's gut, Kim slammed a fist into her face, the pair actually stood a chance until Scorpiona-D grabbed the women's fists and tossed them onto the other ex- Rangers. 'That!' she spat. 'Was IRRITATING!'  
  
She aimed her scythe and fired at the ex-Rangers. The purple lightening hit Kim and Rocky first. Jason caught her while Rocky landed cradled in Adam's arms. Trini fell next being caught at the last second by Jasons other arm before her and Adam were struck down by the blast.  
  
====  
  
Tori dodged past Kiltachoke's slash and slammed her sword down his ribs as Blake plunged his staff up into the monster's gut and tossed him over. The Monster fired off a blast of green "leaves" and slashed the pair as they were caught in the green hurricane.  
  
'Yer dead rangers!' he crooned.  
  
'Here's one you didn't count on!' the white astral Ranger appeared. 'Scarab Scythe!' the white and black scythe slashed through the air with a hiss as the White Astral Ranger advanced from nowhere.  
  
'You're alive!' gasped Tori.  
  
The White Astral Ranger shrugged. 'I guess so' he shrugged. 'Takes more then a falling building and the Black Astral Ranger to kill me...'  
  
Tori and Blake leapt to there feet. 'At least we know there's one good Astral Ranger!' Blake said. Kiltachoke attacked the White Ranger. A green light deflected the strike and gave Blake and Tori an opening to slash away. Kiltachoke squirmed and fell backwards.  
  
'Leave him to me! Go help the ex-rangers! They're injured!' the White Astral ninja exclaimed. With a nod the Thunder and Wind Ninja pupils hurried off as the White Astral swept his body into a fighting stance. 'End of the line you stereotyped piece of rejected broccoli!'  
  
The scythe glowed with dark colours and in a blur of white the ninja was behind the monster kneeling. For a second Kiltachoke laughed. Before the line of white across his torso glowed in shifting shades of the spectrum. With a crackle he exploded in a ball of flame...Scorpiona-D gave a hiss of rage as she strode forwards. She shoved Tori away into a tree and kicked Blake across a hill.  
  
'You are so annoying!' she shrieked. 'Well, the Black is dead! Now lets see if I can't end the WHITE!'  
  
The scythes met with a flare of light. 'Don't count on it, I'm not who I was!'  
  
The green light shoved Scorpiona-D off balance. She somersaulted away from the scythe slash and launched herself at the white astral ranger. ====  
  
'You're sloppy Shane' the voice said, haunting tones flowing from the darkness around Shane. He'd chased Matriarchus and was now left on his own in a small dark clearing.  
  
His mother stepped forwards. 'Help me Shane!' she said.  
  
'Matriarchus...Matriarch...let me guess a mission to trap mothers' he growled. 'Or imitate them...you've been in my house for the past few days, posing as my mother!'  
  
'Perceptive!' she hissed as she transformed back. She caught his blade in a golden hand. 'But I have your mother in my...care...bring me the Mara-Ishii and the Sword of Tao-Zung and she goes free.'  
  
Shane pulled back and aimed his blaster at her face. 'I don't believe you!'  
  
'She came here with Jason...I captured her at the train station. KAPRI! Bring the proof!'  
  
Kapri held out her hand. It was a small gold locket. Shane knew it was his mothers, without a doubt it was hers and the chilling taught trapped the oxygen in his lungs where it was.  
  
'Now, you have 24 hours to return the book and find the sword...or...else!' she held up a golden orb that displayed Shane's mother suspended over a pit of magma. 'You've been warned!'  
  
In a flash she was gone. And instead Zurgane stood in her place. He slashed down at Shane, the pure power filling Shane's world with a dark agony. He landed in a heap demorphing, his body clothed in sweat and tattered clothes. Kapri's eyes widened and she looked at Zurgane as he advanced.  
  
'WAIT!' she exclaimed. 'I'll finish him off you go back to the fight!'  
  
Zurgane looked at her before vanishing without a word. She walked over to the groaning shape of Shane, his body scratched and grazed with soot and dirt from his suit. She aimed her staff at his neck.  
  
======  
  
Motodrone went flying as Hunter swung Cam at him in an impressive tag-team move that sent the monster into shock. 'This is bad!' Motodrone shrieked. 'I amn't staying!' he vanished.  
  
'Coward' Cam said with a snort. Shimazu had just teleported out after Tori had given the monster what for on a huge scale. And thanks to Blake Zurgane was limping. Marah and Dustin were locked in a kind of staff-on- sword push-of-war.  
  
'The White Astral Ninja' breathed Hunter, looking at the ranger and shapeshifter locked in lethal combat. 'He's alive...'  
  
Cam nodded. 'And we know the Black Astral Ranger's still out there...'  
  
A slash came down across the White Astral Ranger's chest and Hunter flinched almost like he'd felt it himself. 'I can still sense his mind!' he breathed. 'I can feel his thoughts...the connection he made!'  
  
'Guys! The ex-rangers are hurt!' Tori shouted. 'BAD!'  
  
'Where's Shane?' Blake shouted.  
  
Kapri appeared with Shane and threw him off her shoulders. 'Call it good luck this time!' she shrilled. 'I'll see you all around!' she vanished.  
  
Marah cast a look at her sister's teleportation cloud then at D. 'D! Let's go!' she shouted as she teleported out.  
  
Scorpiona-D hissed angrily, transformed into King Mondo and vanished. The White Astral Ranger hacked at the teleportation haze. 'Damn!' he cursed. 'Next time!'  
  
Tori rose and ran to him. 'You're alive!' she said. 'We owe you a thank you for saving us from...ehh...yourself?'  
  
'The Black Astral Ranger' the ninja said calmly. 'He'll be back, I'll stop him and I can be free'.  
  
'Do you need medical attention? You can come back to the Academy...'  
  
'That's not a good Idea' the ninja said. 'Thank you'. He bowed sharply and in a blure of white he'd jetted out of the park. Tori looked at the others.  
  
'Weird' Hunter said.  
  
===========  
  
'MOM!' Shane shouted, sitting up in the bed of the infirmary, staring around room with wild eyes. 'Oh God! She's in trouble!'  
  
Senseii hopped up on the desk. 'What is the matter Shane?'  
  
'Yeah, you don't look so hot dude' Dustin said. The Rangers were seated around the bed of the infirmary. Each was worried.  
  
'Mom...my mom...Matriarchus has her, I saw her, and if I don't turn over the book and some sword god Matriarchus WILL kill her!'  
  
'This is a dilemma' Kanoi said. 'Cameron, have you deciphered the symbols?'  
  
'Working on them right now' yawned Cam holding up a notepad and cup of coffee. 'They're ancient Ninja Koji...they were used on scriptures and in drawings to create magical effects. I'll crack them...just not right away...'  
  
Tori pressed on Shane's chest gently and laid him down. 'Sleep, we'll try and figure out how to get her back...'  
  
'What about the ex-rangers?'  
  
'Unconscious' Kanoi said. 'But thanks to the durability from their past morphs they are surviving and healing. They will awaken soon. I suggest you all go home and rest, you've endured quite a lot...though I don't understand why the attack was suspended like that, why did they vanish once you were trapped?'  
  
======  
  
'Weren't we supposed to have dinner at your house tonight?'  
  
Tori shook her head and rubbed her shoulders. 'I tweaked Mom to move it to Friday so you have time to get ready...which you'll need to do...trust me. Mom makes the Spanish Inquisition look like fun at a Table Quiz.'  
  
Blake looked out the window of the van. 'I'll see you at Storm Chargers tomorrow... okay?'  
  
'Yeah' nodded Tori as she pulled up and let him out at his house. 'Bye'  
  
He waved and she drove off. Down the road she saw a guy bashing something off a car with smoke coming out of the engine. Carefully she pulled up. 'Are you okay?'  
  
'Yeah' the guy said. He had spiky black-brown hair and eyes so dark and blue that they were like the bottom of the ocean. 'Just my cell's out and my friend's car's gone poof...damn!'  
  
He wore a leather jacket and white T-shirt with baggy black jeans. He didn't look dangerous...even with the weird dark eyes. 'I can give you a lift to the gas station' Tori suggested. The guy nodded.  
  
'If you could...Actually I'm not far from a friends house. Can you drop me there...?'  
  
Tori nodded. 'Okay'  
  
The guy climbed in and Tori drove in the direction she'd been heading. 'So...you knew to the city?'  
  
'Blue Bay Harbour? No I've been here for a few years now' he said. 'You can drop me off here...I have a score to settle with my friend. He's shut off the electricity to my landladies house.'  
  
'Oh, what a jerk' Tori said. 'Not much of a friend'  
  
'I'll have to talk some sense to him' the guy shrugged. 'Thanks for the lift...see you around.'  
  
He climbed out and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket running in the direction of one of the most impressive housing estates around. A place you needed a minimum of three mortgages just to buy the rights to look at the place.  
  
Tori pulled off. She was exhausted! And Blake was coming over for dinner tomorrow night!'  
  
TBC: Next chapter: Who are the Astral Rangers? Interestingly enough four new guys are in town, all are suspects. And: THE SWORD, THE SWORD!  
  
COUPLES: NS: Cam-Hunter=====Cam-Dustin=======Cam-D=========Cam-Astral Ranger  
  
Hunter-Tori==========Hunter-Kapri=========Hunter-Cam=====Hunter- Dustin===========Hunter-D============Hunter-Astral Ranger  
  
Tori-Blake========Tori-Shane======Tori-Cam======Tori-Astral Ranger====Tori- D========Tori-Guy-she-gave-a-lift-to  
  
Shane-Kapri=========Shane-Cam===========Shane-Tori======Shane- Dustin======Shane-Blake========Shane-D  
  
Marah-Dustin=============Marah-Shane========Marah-Blake====Marah-D  
  
Kapri-Hunter========Kapri-Shane=======Kapri-Mysterious stranger===Kapri-D  
  
Dustin-D===Dustin-Marah=====Dustin-Shane=====Dustin-Cam===Dustin-Hunter ====Dustin-Tori  
  
Blake-Tori=======Blake-Marah======Blake-Shane======Blake-Hunter====Blake- Cam=================Blake-D======Blake-Mystery Guy  
  
MM: Jason-Kim======Jason-Trini=======Jason-Adam=======Jason-Rocky===  
  
Kim-Rocky======Kim-Trini======Kim-Adam=====Kim-Jason===  
  
Trini-Adam======Trini-Jason=====Trini-Kim  
  
Adam-Rocky=====Adam-Kim Rocky-Adam====Rocky-Trini=====Rocky-Kim=====  
  
There we go! Those were the "only" pairings I was aloud put up...I think that's pretty much every possible one but my General is a pain in the ass.  
  
NOTE: I am gathering information in this story for the next one that will be major romance with some action. Okay? Okay! 


	7. Cruel Ploy

TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY 7  
  
Fall Away  
  
'So JJ attacked you! ?' Tori exclaimed as Kelly returned to behind the desk after the police left. She gaped at Kelly.  
  
'Yeah but a blonde kid saved me from becoming a stabbing cushion for JJ...or worse...' she shivered. Tori nodded and smiled as Blake came from the back room.  
  
'Hi' he said softly. 'I haven't forgotten about dinner tonight' he added. 'What time did you get her to set for?'  
  
'After I changed the date? Same time I'm afraid' Tori smiled. 'She's annoyed I badgered her into changing it from yesterday to today. Now she's taking me out shopping...dress formally casual...Mom is a little strong on that point, we're going to dinner in La Bijou.'  
  
'Don't you need a mortgage to reserve a table there?' murmured Blake.  
  
'Not when your father owns it' murmured Tori. 'And the others on the planet.'  
  
Cam entered tapping his pen tersely off a notepad. 'I found a diagram' he said softly. 'The swords in the Mara-Ishii...but I can't read the symbols...they're ancient!'  
  
'Pity that girl didn't hang around' breathed Tori walking over into a huddle. Kelly whistled and broke their discussion over the note pad. 'I'm taking the cash to the bank' she said to the Rangers in a low voice. 'Watch the shop.'  
  
She packed the sack of money into a bag and walked from the shop. 'I heard about JJ' Cam said. 'It's all over town. Who's the mystery guy that saved her?'  
  
'No one knows' Blake shrugged. 'He vanished without a trace...according to Kelly he's like Bruce Lee or something'  
  
'He wouldn't go two rounds with you' Tori said in a vapid voice, batting her eyelashes and brushing her back off Blake's chest. The contact was playful but the buzz of passion was incredible. A redness rose in Blake's face. Cam rolled his eyes and turned away. 'HOLY CRAP!' he exclaimed.  
  
Kelly had just left Storm Chargers when a man in black had sprinted past her and grabbed the bag in her hands. Tori and Blake darted out to Kelly who had been knocked over. The guy in black was running away from them when a kick connected with his ribs. He shot back quite a distance. The young man wore black jeans and a white t-shirt he had a grey and red sweater tied around his waist and his blonde-brown hair was sharply spiked at the fringe, jutting out like a cliff. His sky blue eyes scanned the winded thief briefly.  
  
'Bad idea' he said firmly. The thief groaned and lunged with a knife he pulled from his jacket. The guy winced in pain, clutching his head at that very moment, as if timing were against him. He wrapped his arms around the thief and dragged him down. He kicked the thief off him and got to his feet considerably swifter then the pathetic thief. Who rose, only to be kicked through the door of Storm Chargers. The glass shattered and he landed in a heap.  
  
'You asked for this' the guy said. The robber rose again. Three spinning kicks connected with his face and torso before a jumping blade hick smashed him over the counter.  
  
'Whoa' Tori breathed. Suddenly she could move again, the shocked paralysis that had come from nowhere disentangled itself from Cam and Blake as well. They stepped through the shattered window and looked at the unconscious thief. The blonde haired young man bowed swiftly to the beaten opponent.  
  
'Nice try' he said. 'Justice won over'.  
  
'Its you!' Kelly exclaimed. 'You saved me twice now!'  
  
All eyes were on the mystery boy. 'I wrecked the door' he said quietly. 'I have to go now' he added and moved for the door.  
  
'You're bleeding!' exclaimed Cam. 'You can't leave it untreated'  
  
The young man blinked, he was about 17...he looked at the wound, set a few inches from his shoulder. He tapped it and winced. 'Ah...no I can take care of it...myself.'  
  
'No you can't!' Tori exclaimed. 'You could contract a nasty disease from that blade! Let us at least bandage it for you.'  
  
The boy was rubbing his head. 'I...I guess...' he mumbled.  
  
======  
  
'The Red ranger will return the book to us' Matriarchus said as she ran a hand through her purple and gold dreadlocks. 'And so you learn that there are easier ways to get things done then your way Demon.'  
  
Toxica-D said nothing. Marah and Kapri shifted uneasily as the generals all organized into a line. Matriarchus strode up and down the room before Lothar. 'As soon as the sword is ours we can destroy the Rangers. Then there will be no one capable of standing against us!'  
  
Lothar sighed and nodded. 'What does this sword do?' he groaned.  
  
'It's the ultimate weapon' Toxica-D cut in on Matriarchus curtly. 'It can cut through a zord with no trouble, it can slice a flame in half and can even cut through the fabric of shadows...all who wield it become unstoppable...the trouble is they have yet to understand the prophecy.'  
  
Lothar leaned forwards. 'And what is that?'  
  
'That which wields the sword must have the key and use the door to open the gate of purest power' recited the Demon. 'Open the gate and open the truth should you face it you will be it and your full power shall return to the place it must be to be...'  
  
'Weird' Kapri sniffed. 'It's like...a puzzle'  
  
'It is' D said. 'One no one has solved for aeons...'  
  
'But we will!' Matriarchus snapped at her protégé the Demon. 'Now, have you the dagger?'  
  
The Demon held up the slender blade of gold with the red leather and bejewelled hilt that hummed vaguely. 'The Dagger was left in a case at the back of the museum, a spell later no one noticed I had taken it.'  
  
Matriarchus handed Lothar the blade with ceremony. 'Feel the power' she breathed. 'Feel the power and its great benefits!'  
  
'I can' Lothar said. 'Oh...Oh Rangers you will not live much longer...'  
  
=====  
  
Jason's eyes fluttered open; he sat up and looked around. 'Oh...my head' he grimaced.  
  
'Speak for yourself' a voice grumbled. Adam sat up. 'I feel like I was caught in a stampede...of obese buffalo...'  
  
'Anyone get the number of that truck?' groaned Rocky. 'Hey! Jason!' he exclaimed as he shot up and suddenly collapsed back down. 'Be with you in a mo'.  
  
The door hissed open and Shane entered. His eyes lit up when he saw them all awake. 'Yes! You guys are up!' he whooped. 'I have to check on the girls then...there are some clothes in the press over there, Cyber Cam got them in... uhh long story' he added before Adam could ask. 'Look we'll show you around as soon as you're ready.  
  
Jason's heart had leapt when he heard the mention of "Girls". 'Who are the girls?' he asked, praying and hoping.  
  
'Uhh...wait a sec' Shane said. 'HEY CYBER CAM! WHAT ARE THE NAMES OF THE GIRLS?'  
  
The shape of Cyber Cam crackled into life beside him giving the three others a shock that caused them reflexively to prepare for a fight. 'Kimberly Ann Hart and Trini Kwan dude' Cyber Cam said. Jason's breath caught in his throat and all he could do was nod. SHE was here...  
  
'Oh man' he managed. 'I—have to call your mom Shane. I've not been into work since the corpse shot through the window...'  
  
'Corpse?' Shane repeated. 'What corpse?'  
  
'The one...remember the explosion in the building you guys were there. I saw you fight a black ranger through the telescope in your Mom's office...a corpse came through the window...folded in two and hacked up.'  
  
Shane shook his head. 'Bet he's the one the Ninja got. I knew it wasn't random... Jason...I've got some news...Matriarchus has got my Mom...'  
  
Jason's jaw dropped. 'Oh damn...' he gasped.  
  
========  
  
The "hero" sat on the counter of Storm Chargers sans shirt. He was staring out the window at the Good Christian Charity Shop. 'Can you not feel that! ?' Exclaimed Cam dabbing the small wound with iodine.  
  
'Yes and no' he replied.  
  
Tori was avoiding looking at his body...though it was nice...lean and muscled and... NO! She was sort of definitely kind of with Blake. They were having dinner at her parent's house restaurant...ugh...that was a thought. Her mother was like a shark with guys Tori knew. Only Shane, Cam and Dustin survived by the skin of their teeth.  
  
'What can't you feel anything?' Blake asked.  
  
'I can' the guy said. 'I just...sometimes I can't...I have Dempsey's Syndrome... don't ask...is Kelly all right?'  
  
'Thanks to you' Kelly said walking back from the police. 'After a guy saves you twice you at least deserve his name!'  
  
He hesitated. 'Christian' he said looking at his feet.  
  
'Christian what?' pressed Tori. 'Lee, Rawlings, Grayson, Mitchell, Winslow? Give us a little more to go one please.'  
  
He looked around and for a moment his eyes seemed to lock on something. 'Cross, Christian Cross' he said with finality. 'And you?'  
  
'Tori Hanson, Cam Wantanabe and...'  
  
'Call me Blake' her (insert appropriate word boyfriend, friend, comrade, colleague) said extending a hand. The blonde shook it and coughed lightly, a blush rising in his faintly sallow skin. 'Uhh could we finish this up?'  
  
Tori looked at where he'd been looking. A lot of girls were staring at the half naked boy. Cam applied a bandage and gave a thumbs-up. 'There you go, bandaged away.'  
  
Christian pulled his shirt on and rubbed his knuckles, he slipped his pendant over his shirt. It was a gold coin set in a bronze frame. Tori looked at it. 'Nice accessory' she said.  
  
'Thanks' he said as she examined it. The bronze frame was removable; on the back was a window to the back, which was instead of gold a silver coin. 'I've had it all my life'  
  
Cams notepad fell and Christian picked it up. 'Wow Shu-Tzu-Mi, haven't seen this kind of symbolical koji since...well I amn't sure of that.' He skimmed the page quickly. 'What's with the world and enchanted swords?'  
  
Cam's jaw dropped. 'Twenty four straight hours I've been at that...and you crack it in three seconds?'  
  
'Its easy' muttered Christian handing the pad to Cam. 'Shu-Tzu-Mi was a ninja grandmaster who created thousands of priceless works and arts. I go and see them at the museum a lot. Most are kind of...well colour bound. Always the same eight colours. Red, blue, yellow, pink, black, green, white and silver...go figure must've been a shortage of colourings.'  
  
Blake paused and looked at Cam. 'Could you read a large body of this?' he asked as Christian pulled on his satchel.  
  
'I guess so' shrugged the boy. 'But I have an appointment to keep...if you want help with that I can meet you guys here tomorrow. But I really have to run.'  
  
He slithered off the counter with boneless fluidity and pulled on his jacket. Cam watched him leave and turned to the others. 'I have a bad feeling about him...'  
  
'You have to be kidding, he's a straight arrow!' Tori exclaimed. 'He saved Kelly twice!'  
  
'What if he's that shape shifting demon thing that works for Lothar? Or a monster of some sort. I mean what are the chances someone could read the language?' Blake asked firmly.  
  
Tori said nothing. 'I'll see you later' she said at last. She kissed Blake on the cheek gingerly and blushed before rushing out.  
  
'Kim' the single word from a familiar mouth sent vibrations up her spine. She turned drawing a faint rattling breath. She was wearing a long green denim shirt tied at her ribs, a ribbon pulled her hair back and she had cut her jeans to remove the singed parts.  
  
Trini was dressed in a yellow Motocross jersey and a pair of Tori's jeans. Her hair was receiving a furious brushing to get the tangles and twigs out.  
  
Jason stood in the doorway, bursting out of a sweater Shane had lent him, the crimson shirt stretching to burst. His trousers were karate suit trousers that had been dug up from a closet somewhere.  
  
Rocky and Adam were dressed in Motocross shirts and again, gi trousers. The ex-rangers stood in the room, looking at each other. They hadn't seen each other for a while. Not since Kat and Tommy's wedding.  
  
'Hi Jason' Kim managed.  
  
'How are you?' he asked.  
  
'Fine...Hi Rocky...Adam'  
  
'Hi' the other two said. There was a stiff silence.  
  
'Ah so you were all rangers'  
  
The five young people leapt into the air and twisted on the guinea pig. 'Did that gerbil just talk?' breathed Rocky.  
  
'That's Sensei Kanoi, Lothar turned him into a guinea pig partially by accident I think' Shane explained. 'You see we're in a bit of a hard place at the moment... its all thanks to something that happened way back when the sensei was a student...'  
  
'The red ranger will turn the sword to us' smirked Matriarchus as she watched Jindrax-D raised Greta Clarke on a chained cage. 'And then we'll see what happens to you!'  
  
She turned and vanished. Jindrax-D morphed into another shape. A young woman with tightly bobbed black hair and a cat suit. 'Please! I don't understand! Why am I here?'  
  
'Deep philosophy there sister' the being said with a blank emotional slate. 'Why are any of us here? Well I'm here to inflict suffering and misery to the general population of the galaxy...you?'  
  
'I want a reason!' Greta said firmly glaring at the girl, who stumbled backwards breathlessly.  
  
'That glance! So like my mothers...' she rose upwards on a circle of spells. 'But I doubt they'll murder you like they did her! You're here to poke the red ranger into turning over a magical sword.'  
  
'Why would the red ranger be concerned with me?'  
  
D paused as she left and looked back, arms folded. 'Think long and hard about it'.  
  
Greta's eyes widened. 'Shane!'  
  
'Clever' in a flare of soul energy D was gone.  
  
Marah sighed and flipped her hair as she strode along the Motocross track. 'Margo! ?' A voice called. Marah yipped and quickly put a handkerchief to her face.  
  
'Mmm...Yes...I am Margo from Svayyyyy-den?'  
  
'Hi' Dustin said. 'Are you okay?'  
  
'Oh Yes, just a little cold' she said in a very bad Swedish accent. 'How are you?'  
  
'Ummmm...good I just, I wanted to ask if you'd like to get some coffee?'  
  
'I'd love to but I have...a cow—milking—seminar to attend...durn it...'  
  
'Oh...' Dustin said looking crestfallen. 'I see...'  
  
Marah panicked. What if her handkerchief slipped...if he found out who she was!  
  
"HELLOOOOOO" a voice called. Rita-D was striding forwards, cobwebs leapt from her arms and hands trapping the people in the cocoons of shimmering web. "Isn't anyone going to play?"  
  
Dustin glanced back at Margo...she was gone. Without a thought he darted in behind a tree and morphed.  
  
"Well this entry" Christian said as he sat closer to Cam. "I about the Astral Ninja, apparently the Last Sensei was prophesised to break a most sacred bond and bring shame upon the ninja clan, he would also wound an innocent and forge a monster in the process...that's probably a metaphor for war."  
  
Cam nodded. He looked at Christian; the blonde was apparently totally oblivious to his attractive powers. Cam knew that at least three of the guys who'd checked him out were straight. Christian had a kind of innocence to him that most guys wanted to "take" and that most women wanted to "have". His bright blue eyes leapt over the images on the next page. He swallowed and his Adam's apple bobbled in a "cute" manner.  
  
Cam shook himself out mentally. He was NOT checking Chris out. They were just sitting in the mall at a smoothie bar, reading a book...close together. So close he could smell the gentle spearmint scent off the young man. Who wasn't so young, he was the same age as Hunter at the very least.  
  
"Wow...this one talks about the Shinobi Seals. The Viper, The Falcon, The Mantis, The Turtle and The Wolf" Christian pointed to the odd Seals. "Only those who have wielded warrior faiths can hope to defeat them, others would be annihilated."  
  
"What about...this?" Cam turned to the page on the sword.  
  
"This sword is basically the Victor of Carnage. Many call it Lord's Law. It's a sword that many have wielded but ultimately been consumed by its power. Hey! It's got directions! Wait..." he leafed back through the pages. "It's in the Cavern of Bursa, a place that only a warrior can reach. But it only opens on a full moon...that's in two nights...the seals are there and they must be removed to open the barrier around the sword."  
  
"Thanks" Cam said. "I have to go..."  
  
"All right, see you whenever, I'll be around. Oh by the way the next entry is on an Astral Ninja. So just--"  
  
Cam cut in on Christian as he rose. "I have time for one last bout of deciphering," he said. "Let's do this."  
  
Marah and Kapri appeared beside Rita-D as she cobwebbed a group of men. The shape-shifter was cackling maniacally. "Oh I love my job" she cackled. The blaster fire hit the ground and she shielded herself. With a hiss she looked up. "They're here at last".  
  
"Hold it right there!" Tori shouted. She leapt forwards and kicked Marah back. Shane angle tackled Kapri while Hunter, Blake and Dustin leapt at the Kezlacks and Rita-D as she summoned them. Sparks flew as Rita-D summoned a series of spells up blasting the rangers with her spell circles.  
  
Cam slashed down at a Kelzack as it attacked Hunter. "Sorry I'm late but I have a hell of an excuse."  
  
"Forgiven! For now" Hunter grinned as he slammed a fist into a Kelzack's face.  
  
Rita-D hurled the scriptures at Tori and Cam. The slender paper slips glowed and struck the pair, the glowing patterns materialized on the air. Trapping the pair in the floating circles, lightening crackled, binding their arms and legs with shackles.  
  
"One word from me and your comrades will have a real buzz to write home about!"  
  
Hunter and Blake started and fought their twin urges to charge at her. She warped into Lothar. He laughed as the dragon headed staff glowed. "Where is the sword?"  
  
"We can't deliver it yet. We need more time," Shane roared.  
  
"Oh dear" sighed Lothar-D. He snapped his fingers and Greta Clarke appeared, held by Motodrone and Zurgane. "Then she must die!"  
  
"Shane help me," Greta pleaded pathetically. "Help me, I can't fight them! Help!"  
  
Shane paused. "She knows!" he gasped. "Mom!" The blast of black light hit Zurgane and then another caught Motodrone. There was a whiz of sound and suddenly the White Astral Ranger appeared at Shane's side with a large blaster (A/N: Like the massive blasters in Time force). He fired again. "Go for it" he said.  
  
Shane didn't say anything he merely leapt forwards and slashed the Kelzacks out of his way. He caught his mother's arm and leapt away taking her with him. "MARAH KAPRI!" Lothar's voice roared from the sky. "BRING ME THE WHITE ASTRAL NINJA! FORGET THE WOMAN!"  
  
Lothar-D vanished backwards with a smile. "Love to stay, but swords to find, deaths to cause. You understand!" in a blast of shadows she was gone.  
  
Shane landed in the woods, his mother in his arms. "Shane! You saved me!" she gasped hugging him. "I was so scared!"  
  
Shane paused and looked at the woman in the sitcom-mom dress and hair, both messed severely. He frowned...and turned away for a pensive moment.  
  
The crossbow bolt exploded against his mothers back and she fell down. Shane looked up. The girl who'd given the book to Cam stood on the rock ledge above, the light from the trees touched her wavy blonde-brown hair. She wore a short leather jacket and black turtleneck. Her denim jeans had a studded leather belt in them and she wore black-heeled boots that disappeared up under the flares of her jeans. She lowered her cross bow.  
  
"Look at her arm!" she exclaimed.  
  
Shane hesitated and looked down. He gasped and pulled back. His mother's arm was a sharp talon that was very much not hers. It was Matriarchus's arm!  
  
"Hot be cold and cool be warm, Demon Human be your true form!" chanted the girl. The flash ran over Greta Clarke and warped into the monstrous shape. Matriarchus rose slowly. She glanced at Shane as he raised his sword into a slash.  
  
"Later" she rasped and vanished.  
  
The white Astral Ranger looked at the other Rangers. "I am gone," he said.  
  
He gestured and in a flash of white he had vanished from their plane of existence. Cam looked at Hunter. The Crimson ranger was staring at the vortex. "He's scared" Hunter stated. "And not dead"  
  
"He's the Black ranger...right? You know, like...a split persona?" Shane mused.  
  
"I think so" nodded Cam. "Well he was...but maybe they split apart, we did think they were dead...what if they're two separate people now? Not even related to who the Astral Ranger we fought was."  
  
Tori looked to Blake. "I'm worried," she admitted. "Who is he?"  
  
"He's someone who's scared and confused," Hunter said. "And I have a real headache pass me aspirin anyone?"  
  
Tori kicked the van with her pointed shoe. She should never turn down a lift from her mother! She pulled at the slit of her aqua silk dress around a bit to march to the engine. "Stupid! Why do you do this to me? I cannot be late! Oh, if only I hadn't needed to do my make-up..." with a snarl she kicked the van again.  
  
"Can I help?" the dark voice said. The young man had a black leather jacket on and black jeans with a poison symbol on the knee. His white T- shirt bore the same symbol and he moved with a snake-like subtlety to himself.  
  
"Be my guest" Tori said stepping aside. The boy popped the front open and rummaged around for a moment before shutting the bonnet and giving Tori thumbs up. Tori climbed into the drivers seat and turned the ignition.  
  
The engine sprang into life. "Thanks!" she exclaimed. "Can I give you a lift?"  
  
"Yes" nodded the boy. "If you don't mind, I need to make it to the offices of Water and Power". Tori patted the passenger seat. The boy slid in. "My landlady is having trouble and I have to sort it out."  
  
"Oh" Tori said. They drove in silence a little more before the offices came into view. "Well I hope it's still open."  
  
"They'll open for me," he said. "I'm Huntington by the way...Hunt to...well I really can't say my friends...but if you ever have a problem I solve them professionally". He grinned and slid out of the car with a quick grin. Tori watched him walk towards the gates and drove off.  
  
She didn't see the guard come out to stop him, the red light engulf the guard and snap his spine...or the gates wrenched back by red thoughts.  
  
TBC: R&R plz. Tori's parents and Blake at dinner...hmmm...and I've settled on another couple PLUS the old rangers get serious butt kicking (pairings there are welcome) 


	8. Strong Ties

Two Sides To Every Story 8  
  
Chapter 8: Strong Ties  
  
Sensei looked the girl up and down. Her brown-blonde hair was pulled back off her face now and she was smiling hopefully. "And you are?" he pressed.  
  
"Chance, Cassidy Chance" she said. "You're Sensei Kanoi! A pleasure" she bowed and gave a hopeful smile. "Umm I am the- the guardian of the Mara- Ishii"  
  
"Not the best job ever" Cam said tossing the book onto the desk. Cassidy winced.  
  
"Well, the sensors of Matriarchus sense it. Luckily rangers drown out its aura...I was hoping I'd find one but it was pure luck I found you. I realized that you were a ranger when I stopped sensing the book. Then I saw you talking to Shane and realized that he was a Ranger too...but I smelt Demon touch off him so I followed him a bit and found out his mother had been replaced with Matriarchus".  
  
"I knew Greta Clarke would never wear her hair that way!" Jason exclaimed.  
  
"You know my mom scary well," commented Shane.  
  
"The woman is a great political mind" Jason defended.  
  
"Greater then great" added Trini. "She beat down three delegates in a debate without more then 5 minutes to create her speech."  
  
"She sounds really interesting" Adam said.  
  
"She is" Shane murmured. "And she's tough too..."  
  
"You know, you aren't a good mother" Matriarchus sighed. "Your son won't even try to save you...hnh, he probably liked me better"  
  
Greta looked at Matriarchus. "You're a bizarre alien with pink and gold skin," she said calmly. "You're probably powerful and strong, you've probably killed many warriors in your life..." her voice became tougher. "But my son is going to kick your ass to Switzerland and back".  
  
"So feisty!" exclaimed Lothar as he materialized. "I see where he gets if from! Matriarchus I want you to capture the Astral Ranger next time you see him."  
  
"But the sword--"  
  
"DO IT!" Lothar snarled. He looked at Greta. "The boy will bring it for us..."  
  
Greta glared at Lothar, startling him. No one could match his gaze...NO ONE! He teleported away and left Matriarchus to throw a dirty glance at Greta before she too disappeared and left Greta alone in her cage over the magma vortex.  
  
Jason sat down beside Rocky. "Okay..."he said. "We owe these guys for pulling us out of the fire...literally, in the park. So I say...we find the sword and use it to destroy this Lothar dude"  
  
"With that mask he's worse then Rita" snorted Kim. There was a smile from the group as they recalled the old days.  
  
"We should council prudence," warned Trini in her soothing voice. "We're not rangers anymore and that means we can easily be hurt by the soldiers of the despot."  
  
"I say we crush him like a bug" admitted Rocky. "---But with a long handled fly swatter, he ain't gonna be a push over".  
  
Adam shrugged. "Maybe, Maybe not...but we can rely on what little power we all still have within us. It never left. We can trust it."  
  
"But it's not enough" Jason sighed rising slowly. "After all Tommy was the "best" fighter. I'm just number two." The bitterness was evident.  
  
"We have to remember...all of us are able for this" Adam said calmly. "We're not exactly helpless. We stand a chance."  
  
"Yeah" Kim said touching Jason's shoulder. "We can do this."  
  
"Yeah" Jason nodded. "We can".  
  
Blake bit his lip as Tori straightened his shirt. She'd arrived late but in time to catch him before he entered the restaurant her father owned. He looked adorable, sweet as sugar, in the black suit and blue shirt. She was satisfied once she'd tossed the necktie.  
  
"Mom is pretty tough, don't ever talk back...not that you would. Dad likes it when I date guys with plans...be yourself but be respectful. They don't know about the ninja thing...keep it out. Mom will give a few brisk questions fitted in between meals. Do NOT speak with a full mouth"  
  
"Should I salute?" Blake grinned. Tori placed a kiss on his lips.  
  
"Be polite and yourself and they'll adore you as much...but not like, I hope...as I do"  
  
She placed another kiss on his lips for longer and inwardly gave a contented sigh. Then she led him into the restaurant. The room was gold and crimson, tinted with lights like sunsets. Her father had his private booth reserved.  
  
"Hello Vicky" he cooed. Tori hugged her father and smiled. "And this must be Blake...fine lad sit down you two love birds."  
  
Blake smiled, pulled a chair out for Tori and basically helped her sit down. That action alone earned him a level-5 judging-gaze from Mrs Hanson. Mr Hanson leaned forwards a little. "So Blake. Tori tells me you two met at the Motocross track."  
  
"Yes sir" nodded Blake, his neck stiffening and throat closing.  
  
"Do you ride?"  
  
"Ysss" Blake managed. He took a drink of water and managed to free his throat up.  
  
"Is that long term?" Mr Hanson said.  
  
"I honestly don't know" Blake said. "It's just what I love to do. I've got all intentions to go to college. But Motocross might make it possible, there's a scout looking at myself, Hunter and Dustin for a chance to go pro."  
  
"I see" Mrs Hanson said. "That sounds nice...are you two going to order?"  
  
"Try the duck it's superb" Mr Hanson said.  
  
Blake swallowed. He felt Tori brush her hand off his and send a wave of hope through it to him. He was calm now...  
  
Dinner passed as he dealt casually and truthfully with the lawyer Maggie Hanson's sharp but respectful questions. Finally the night ended...it had been awkward. Blake walked Tori out to her van.  
  
"You dazzled Daddy" Tori said. "And if you ever call me Vicky I'll bait you with a hook and feed you to the sharks!" she glared at him. He gave a grin and looked over his shoulder.  
  
"They're gone" reassured Tori. "So kiss me or I'll tell them you thought the duck was dry!" Blake bit his lip and leaned in, initiating a small kiss that heated into an inferno of passion that...his brain switched off and he felt himself getting washed away by the wave that was Tori. Finishing the kiss took all his will power, more then it had to free himself from any mind control.  
  
She kissed him on the cheek and climbed into her van, pulling her shoes off. "Don't try drive in heels," she said. "Okay?"  
  
"Darn" Blake grinned. "My weekends ruined!"  
  
The van pulled away. Blake breathed in and punched the air the second Tori had pulled away. "Yes!" he grinned. "She likes me! She likes me! She likes me!"  
  
He leapt into his jeep and gave a loud Wahoo before driving home with Tori on the brain.  
  
Marah peeked out from behind the tree. The rangers were there with Dustin; her chances had flopped...oh well. She couldn't be Margo again; the rangers would catch on toooooooooooo fast.  
  
"Hey" Blake said, his face turning redder then Shane or Hunters outfits. Tori smiled and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Hi" she smiled.  
  
Dustin looked to Hunter who shrugged. "You guys going to bike with us?"  
  
"I'll take your times" Kelly called from the van. "Tori can you help me get these out of the back? I have something for you guys."  
  
Tori walked over and opened the back of the van with Kelly. She took the new helmets from the box. They were sitting on newspaper. The latest issue, which read on the cover:  
  
"CEO OF ELECTRIC PLANT MURDERED?" Tori leapt back the second she read the time of death. "Oh God" she muttered. "I gave the murderer a lift!"  
  
"Huh? What?" Blake said darting to her side to put a hand on his shoulder. "Who?"  
  
Tori picked up the paper. "I think I did...he helped fix my van, I offered a lift, he took it...I dropped him at the plant oh my god!!!"  
  
"Calm down" Blake said putting an arm around her waist. "We can go talk to the police, it's not like you knew he was going to kill anyone!"  
  
"You guys go riding, you need to clock your times for that scout" Shane said. "I'll take Tori to the station."  
  
"No I should---"  
  
Tori should her head and cut Blake off. "You said it yourself, this could be your big chance. Shane's one of my oldest friends, I trust him as much as you. He'll look after me. You need your times for that scout."  
  
Blake watched Tori depart with Shane and looked at the new helmet.  
  
"Twice the protection, half the weight" explained Kelly. "Come on let's do this and go be there if Tori needs us."  
  
Hunter pulled his helmet and in three seconds they were speeding along. In the forests a bike revved up...and sped out. It was a black tsunami cycle! It shot along the track and vaulted over a hill into the air with the trio. Kelly shouted a curse that made people's hair stand on end. The red bolts shot from the headlights and hit the ground. Blake's bike landed in the spot, it hurled him into the grass off the track. Dustin glanced over his shoulder...the black clad biker spun his legs over the side of the bike and snapped them out into him.  
  
Dustin was separated from his bike with a thud and shout of pain. He crashed into a tented drinks stall with a yelp as his bike slammed to the ground.  
  
Hunter heard the tsunami cycle...felt a pulse hiss past his head. The crimson energy was his colour...would it be his death, was a bigger question.  
  
He could sense the calculating coldness of his pursuer...Somehow! He felt a crunch and thud. The back of his bike had lost a large slab. He gritted his teeth and shot over another slope with the black tsunami cycle at his back. The blast fired through the air... It hit Hunters head. Seconds later Cams sword shot through the air and slashed the side of the black bike.  
  
The rider and bike crashed down. Cam raced forwards, his heart pumping. He had a choice between: the black clad man on the stolen tsunami cycle (A/N: try saying that 3 times fast with a mouthful of peas), and Hunter.  
  
He picked Hunter.  
  
He heard his sword ripped from the side of the bike, the engine begin again and roar off. He leapt to Hunters side in full Samurai garb. Easing the helmet off Cam prayed his ranger endurance had saved him.  
  
"Please, please, please don't die bay---" Cam caught himself and turned it into: "Bay's most brooding boy". Hunter's eyes fluttered open and focused on Cam with a wide smile.  
  
"Did you get him?" he croaked.  
  
"In a word...yes" Cam said. "Then he escaped...didn't take my sword at least".  
  
Kelly rushed over and seemingly ignored the presence of a Green Samurai Ranger at her side. "Hunter? Are you okay? Man this city is a home to craziness!" she checked his eyes and head. "Trip to the hospital for you pal."  
  
She looked over her shoulder, The Samurai was gone and the other two were rushing over. She sighed and looked at Hunter. "Any spinning sensations?"  
  
"Not really Mr Elephant-in-a-bowler, but can I have my pickle ice cream back?" Hunter droned.  
  
"OH MY GOD HE'S GOING TO DIE" exclaimed Dustin.  
  
"No I'm not," snorted Hunter. "I'm fine."  
  
Thirty minutes later they were at the hospital. A German nurse with a crooked nose and sharp eyes (as well as a build like a wrestler) took Hunter to a doctor and brought him back. In a wheelchair. Most embarrassing for Hunter.  
  
"Can I please walk out of here?" Hunter asked. He struck up Cute-Grin #29. It hit a brick wall and slid down like slime.  
  
"Zorry dear but I'm a muzzer of 5, zat grin has keine effect on me. You use it I'll let you stay up to 10 to watch infomercials at best" she said sharply. "Lets not be zeeing you again Hunter."  
  
"Sure thing Helga" he sighed.  
  
"Zats nurse Helga to you Blondie" she snipped and basically tipped him out. He staggered over to Kelly and gave thumbs up. Blake and Dustin frowned and nodded.  
  
"So the Astral Ranger has a tsunami cycle," Kanoi murmured. "Lothar must have supplied it...when the young man was totally under his influence".  
  
"He might be again," murmured Cam. Tori nodded in agreement.  
  
"We should look for him," she agreed.  
  
"Or trap him?" suggested Cassidy. "If we get the Astral Ranger we might be able to use him as a bargaining chip to get Mrs Clarke back...the sword cave won't open for another night. We mightn't have much time".  
  
"Like, Cassidy has totally gotten a plan dudes!" CyberCam exclaimed. The holographic image of the beachside walk appeared. The swirling blue and white tiles and shops lining one side, set on the cliff.  
  
"This is the best place for an attack against him. All the powers will function perfectly here...ergo he'll have a slight disadvantage when Cyber and I do this".  
  
She pressed a key on the console. A green field popped up around the palm trees and benches in a circular area of the walk. "A field to prevent him Telekinetically tossing any of the cars around. Plus, its just Jim-dandy at stopping teleportation or ninja jumping from causing trouble in the fights. Once you lure him here I turn it on and he goes nowhere..."  
  
"We have a plan" nodded Hunter. "Can we get around to using it...how do we lure him? He's hardly got a Bat-signal."  
  
"Actually that's true...but you two..." a slightly sinister gleam came in Cassidy's green eyes. "That's another story."  
  
"We're hooked up to a power source that will boost a psychic signal to attract the astral ninja with his Telepathy?"  
  
"Yes" Cam said as he and Hunter stood near the palm trees in the circle of stone.  
  
"Just checking" Hunter sighed. "So...what now?"  
  
"Game of I-Spy-with-my-little-eye? Or maybe a rousing round of 99 bottles of beer on the wall?" suggested Cam dryly.  
  
"You're mocking me, aren't you" Hunter said.  
  
"Exactly Buzz Lightyear. Congratulations on that assumption"  
  
"What flew up your ass and died?" exclaimed Hunter turning on Cam.  
  
"Nothing" Cam said slowly. "I'm tired is all".  
  
Hunter didn't get a chance to take it any further. A blur of black slammed into him and lashed out with a kick to Cam's gut. The Black Astral ninja held his Spider Sai at the ready. "Can we start now, I want to find where that signal came from..."  
  
"NOW CASS!" Hunter shouted. The other sped up to their comrades and surrounded the Black Astral ranger as the green pillar of marbled energy swirled out.  
  
"Hmmmmmm" the astral ninja murmured. "This IS a turn...oh well"  
  
He lunged at them. Sparks flew. Tori slashed the Astral Ninja in the back. He spun and slashed her in the visor. Blake gave an animal roar and smashed his staff into the Astral Ninja. The battle swiftly became brutal.  
  
"The Astral Ninja!" Kapri exclaimed excitedly as Matriarchus and Marah surrounded the viewing screen. "And all the rangers in one place! Perfect!"  
  
"Let's go girls," Matriarchus said. "—Where is The Demon"  
  
"She said something about...doing her nails?" Marah said in a confused voice.  
  
"Oh brother" sighed Matriarchus.  
  
They teleported out.  
  
The field imploded as Cam slashed across Black Astral's chest. The rush of energy threw them all up into the air. Dressed to kill in the costumes The Demon had given them they strode forwards. Marah and Kapri.  
  
Matriarchus stormed along behind them. Kezlacks prancing along behind her.  
  
"I feel like this is going to cause pain..." Black Astral commented. "Fun."  
  
Cam spun and slashed the Black Astral ranger. The obsidian clad teen grunted in pain and glanced up. "Oh, who told you I liked it rough?"  
  
The TK blast knocked Cam off his feet. A trashcan shot trough the air and crashed into two Kezlacks. "Your uncle won't control me," stated the Black Astral ranger to the girls before he launched into an unbiased attack on everything that moved.  
  
"Yummy with chocolate icing" Kapri murmured.  
  
"And sprinkles too" Marah said. She spotted Dustin and raised her staff. "Sorry Dusty" she whispered and blasted him through the glass of a window. She leapt after him, Kezlacks pounded after her, blades at the ready.  
  
She hopped into the shop and levelled her staff at him. "Prepare to-y'know- die," she said half-heartedly. Dustin raised his Lion Hammer.  
  
"You've really improved in fighting by the way," he said as she swung at him.  
  
"Thanks!" exclaimed Marah. "D's been giving me a few pointers, Matriarchus is really quite good as well! And you've gotten even better!"  
  
"I guess" chuckled Dustin. "I trained harder, 50 extra push-ups"  
  
Kapri kicked Shane in the ribs. He ducked under her next kick and knocked her backwards. She rolled over the bench and landed on her feet to blast him with a crescent of pink light. Shane slammed it with his sword batting it away.  
  
Kapri vaulted the bench and delivered a rapid bicycle kick to his face. He shot backwards with a shout.  
  
"Hey! That's my move!" he whined.  
  
"Get over it" she sighed. Rolls reversed it seemed as she slashed at him and spun with her staff. He caught it and swung a kick over it into her side.  
  
"I did" he smirked under the helmet.  
  
They launched at each other again.  
  
Matriarchus lashed out with her hair whipping the dreadlocks around Tori and Blake, flinging them upwards. Hunter leapt through the air and batted down into her head, she shrieked and staggered back. Tori and Blake fired in unison, flooring Matriarchus.  
  
"Okay Mommy Fearest" Tori said. "It's been real!"  
  
The sonic fin glowed with power; she leapt into the air and slammed down. Sparks ran through Matriarchus and knocked her back. Hunter and Blake surged forwards past Tori and planted a double kick on her.  
  
"Yeah we rock" Blake said.  
  
"Understatement" sniffed Hunter.  
  
15minutes earlier  
  
"I have to do something," Cassidy said to CyberCam as the field shattered and the Kezlacks appeared. She sprinted towards the portal.  
  
"Careful" Kanoi said. "If you run into that fight you will be disadvantaged and a warrior without a shield falls against one with both shield and sword...usually."  
  
They stared at one another for a while, Guinea Pig to Human. Sensei to Young woman. "I have no idea what that means" she said. "But I'll not go in there without a plan...I'm just stopping by the weapons workshop."  
  
She darted out the door.  
  
"Dude, she is one hot tamale," CyberCam said.  
  
"I never here my organic son say that" sighed the Sensei.  
  
The sai prongs trapped Cam's blade and the kick rose into his gut. He wheezed and fell back a little. The metal hissed with the movement. He knew he had one choice, only one; he had to disarm them both and hope for the best...the concentration it obviously took for Telekinesis was high...if there was too much of a distraction.  
  
He kicked the Astral Ranger in the stomach and twisted his blade, pushing it up at the same time. The weapons shot upwards and Cam chopped down into the side Black Astral Ninjas neck...the blur of black caught him in the neck. Cam collapsed.  
  
"Is this a private party or can any party animal join in?" crowed Mandilok- D. It levelled its scythe-sceptre at Hunter. Cam darted out and shoved Hunter aside, the blast of purple hit the Kelzack the Crimson Ninja had been fighting. It turned into a mass of black and white spots jetting off in opposite directions.  
  
"Dag-nabbit!" cured Mandilok-D. He plunged into the fray, slashing and stabbing.  
  
Marah and Dustin crashed through doors of the shop. Fists flying kicks crashing...and then the explosion. The black smoke filled the air, the sewers were revealed beneath the walk. The stench filled the air as the aliens disappeared, Kezlacks defeated and energy depleted. Marah and Kapri glanced at Shane and Dustin...then they were gone.  
  
And Black Astral too  
  
"Are you guys okay?" shouted Cassidy, running from the smoke in a scuffed leather jacket, stained jeans and tarnished boots, with mud smeared on her face. "Did my little fire cracker s under the street hurt anyone?"  
  
"The city council" Cam said. "That was dangerous"  
  
Cassidy halted in front of him and squared up. "Are you dead?"  
  
"No"  
  
"Maimed?"  
  
"No"  
  
"Then I have no reason to apologize."  
  
Biting his lip Jason entered the room. Of course he felt bad...but he figured, if they started hiking now they'd be able to get there by the next full moon. Tonight. They'd reach there tonight and grab the sword.  
  
He held the map from the Mara-Ishii, a copy of course...but it was the only one. Perfect, Cyber Cam had made it as magical as the one in the book itself thanks to the expertise of Kanoi.  
  
He looked at the others dressed for the out doors.  
  
"Got it," he whispered.  
  
"Let's go" nodded Adam.  
  
"And be quiet" added Kim. "No swearing at interesting of naked art, no games of I-Spy and NO, I repeat, NO asking are we there yet."  
  
"Hey! I did that once when we needed to get a football back from Old McGregor's garden!" he exclaimed.  
  
"You can't win this one, so don't try" Adam sighed.  
  
Trini gave the thumbs up from around the corner. They crept along the passage and slipped towards the portal.  
  
Next Chapter: Blake gets jealous. The ex-rangers get action packed! Christian deciphers more symbols and...some other romantic stuff happens! VOTE NOW FOR A PAIRING!!!  
  
A/N: That wraps up another chapter. Zilch reviews...yet still I write...why? Perhaps because I now have regular ninja storm (I feel that it's gotten less serious since Buena Vista took over. But that's good because at least they don't over gesture like they used to...eeeeeeucccch!).  
  
Okay so far...voted couples are...  
  
Tori/Blake (of course)---Marah/Dustin---Kapri/Shane---Cam/Any-Hot-Guy-at- all-really-he's-not-picky.  
  
FAO (me): And now a word from our sponsor...well the guy who harasses me regularly...  
  
General Lee Twisted: SLASHYSLASHYSLASHYSLASHYSLASHY  
  
FAO: Someone shoot me 


	9. Fight Rite

TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY  
  
Ravyn Jayne: Cam and Hunter? Well enjoy this chapter! I've put a nice slab of it in here somewhere!  
  
Prinzessin: Yeah I know it flows BAAAAD but I'm trying to work on it. Stick with me though (General Lee's a Major fan of yours actually.)  
  
Miz Greenleaf: Lothar/Lothor yeah I know...I do that on and off. I find it real funny that the same actor plays LothAr and Sensei...doesn't that mean he was fighting/talking to himself in the first episode?  
  
Chapter 9: Fight Rite  
  
The morning surf was good today. Tori waded from the foam with a smile. She looked over her shoulder. A surfer in white swim shorts was tossed off his board. Tori frowned when he didn't come up after several minutes.  
  
"Oh my God" she gasped.  
  
"What?" a voice asked.  
  
"He didn't come up" she exclaimed sloshing forwards.  
  
"Who? The cute guy in white shorts?"  
  
"Yeah!" she exclaimed and turned. It was Christian, in his low hanging white shorts. The board he'd fallen from slid over on a wave. "Christian? I didn't know you surfed...then again I don't know much about you."  
  
"I'm full of surprises," grinned Christian. "So, hows to going?"  
  
"Great...oh Kelly wants to say thanks for saving her and her cash...twice. JJ, the punk you thrashed first time, told a friend that Kelly took the month's takings and cash out of the register and safe around the same time every month, so he waited until he saw her do it. The police got him and JJ so...well he's going away".  
  
The pair strode along the beach. "I figured it wasn't possible to be that unlucky," Christian said. "She seems like a nice person. Tough but fair".  
  
"She is" admitted Tori. "So, you're working with Cam on that book?"  
  
"Yeah, where'd he get it?"  
  
Tori's mind raced. "I amn't sure he didn't say. I vaguely remember him mention it being a family heirloom...I think that's what he said."  
  
"Okay" Christian shrugged. "So, surf here often?"  
  
"Only all the time" sighed Tori. "When we go on holidays I get to surf on a few cool beaches somewhere else...but this place is in my heart. Where'd you learn to surf?"  
  
"South of France, Australia, Miami, Ireland, Canary Islands and South Africa" listed Christian. "My parents had money. Bundles of it."  
  
"Wow" murmured Tori. "Lucky you"  
  
"Not really" sighed Christian. "I was always half a person. I never had...something"  
  
Tori bumped him with her shoulder and smiled. "Hey, why don't you hang around with Cam for a while? He'll give you something...namely an overdose of sarcasm".  
  
"Fun...woo" Christian said dryly. He smiled at her and she smiled at him.  
  
"Tori"  
  
Blake was standing defensively behind Christian. Tori smiled...he hugged her and kissed her a bit too passionately for a hello. Christian smiled one of his sad smiles.  
  
"Whoa...what was that for?" she giggled.  
  
"Nothing" Blake said softly. "Aside from you being you".  
  
Christian turned and trudged away. "See you guys around" he called. "And get a room you crazy kids". He disappeared over the dunes. Tori looked at Blake and frowned.  
  
"Damn!" Dustin held his hand, dabbing the cut with a towel from the rack in the garage. Someone kneeled by him and pried the towel away.  
  
"If you want an infection that's the way to get one" the boy said. He had black spiky hair and dark blue eyes. "Here let me see". He took Dustin's hand in his and looked it over. "Ouch. I think someone needs a plaster".  
  
He helped Dustin up and found the first aid box behind the desk. He bandaged Dustin's hand gently. "I'm Dustin"  
  
"Huntington...call me Hunt" he grinned. "There, all bandaged up."  
  
Dustin looked at his hand and then at the boy. "Do I know you?" he asked. The guy was dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans with a leather jacket on. He didn't look familiar. But there was something there...  
  
"Not that I know of" admitted the boy. "But who's to say there's no such thing as reincarnation?" he looked at Dustin's bike. "Yowza, what happened there?"  
  
"Crash"  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Yeah"  
  
"Good"  
  
There was silence as Hunt examined the bike gently...he was very...hostile...it was kind of...a turn on? Whoa! That was odd. But it was true; he looked like he would really know what he was doing in stopthinkingthatDustin. He cut the thoughts off.  
  
"Man I bet this thing could really bang you!"  
  
"What!" Dustin shrilled.  
  
"The bike, this saddle it's really tough it could give you major saddle sores," Hunt explained patting the seat. "You look a little warm..."  
  
"Uhh nah" Dustin said feeling really awkward. "Umm...I'm just flattered you care about my bike so much."  
  
"Mnyeh" Hunt said. "It's a pet peeve of mine."  
  
He rose and leaned over the bike past Dustin to grab a wrench. His body was cool, well built it seemed and strong and also a major turn on to Dustin. Get out of my brain evil not-right-with-a-guy thoughts! Dustin snarled inwardly.  
  
"If you tighten a little here and loosen a little there it can make all the difference" smiled Hunt. It was the kind of smile that belonged on a bandit who made angels strap on bungee jumping gear and take a plunge.  
  
"Well be careful, this bike is in pretty bad shape, it might eat your arm".  
  
"Say" Hunt said. "Do you want to see a race? It's on tonight and you can bring some friends. It's also..."  
  
"Illegal?"  
  
"Yeah" nodded Hunt. "But definitely worth seeing."  
  
Dusting nibbled his lip for a moment. "I guess...maybe..."  
  
"It's under Ascale Bridge at 8:00..." Hunt laughed. "I know the bridge is actually not a bridge because it's missing the middle of it. But the race is tonight and you can watch it from on top...look I know you probably don't want to go to such a -well- crappy part of town but the racers are really cool."  
  
"Okay...see you at eight" Dustin said at last. Hunt gave another devilish smile.  
  
Matriarchus led the Kezlacks up the rock ridge. "The full moon opens the cavern and the sword will be ours! HEY YOU NO SLACKING" she roared at a lagging Kezlack.  
  
Kim grabbed Jason's forearm and climbed the rock ledge. "It's dusk," she said. "We have 2 more hours tops before the moon rises and the bad guys can get in".  
  
"Then let's not stop" Rocky suggested.  
  
"We're nearly there anyway," Trini added as she hopped over a log. "We can make it before moonrise. Well...we should."  
  
"Unless we're attacked by men who have pots for heads" Adam said.  
  
"Stop talking or you'll Jinx it," warned Rocky.  
  
Trini glanced at the map and walked over to a waterfall splashing forth from the rocks above forming a small pool. "This way" she said. She tucked the map back into her backpack and pushed through the curtain of water.  
  
"Well my hair's going to be destroyed but still..." Kim muttered as she walked through the water. Adam followed, then Rocky and lastly Jason. He glanced about one last time before he walked into the liquid portal.  
  
They found themselves on a ledge, stepping from the air having walked a dark passage of stars for an unknown amount of time. And now they were here, standing before a Buddha statue.  
  
"Wow" Kim said. "Do I get frequent Flier miles for that little run?"  
  
Jason and Trini walked over to the Buddha. There was the echo of deep chanting around it, from within it. "Halt" a voice boomed, shaking rocks from the cliffs behind the statue. It sat in the way of an alcove of rock, a perfect fit. "If you seek to pass this place then you must prove your worth!"  
  
Jason stared at the flames as they sprang up. Rocky swallowed nervously. "Please say he wants a BBQ cook off!"  
  
"We walk through the flames or...face that," Trini said. She pointed at the approaching sheet of lightening scorching the ground with javelins of blue and white light.  
  
"Man this is going to sting," Rocky groaned. He hurled himself down the path of flames. Trini and Kim took off after him, then Jason. Adam glanced at the Buddha that was moving away, seemingly stretching the space between them rather then it actually moving.  
  
"Talking statues...why amn't I shocked?" he groaned.  
  
He darted down the path of flames. They licked at him feebly but soon he slowed and realized they didn't hurt. He touched them letting them roll over his palm and lick his face. He strode on to the Buddha where the others stood. The Buddha rose on the air and gave its stony head a nod. They passed under him into the alcove where he crashed down to Earth once more and sealed them into the alcove.  
  
"That's really not good" Trini muttered.  
  
"Come on" Kim said. She reached the large stone doors in the alcove and pushed on them. They refused to move.  
  
"Sorry Rangers but you aren't that...oh" Matriarchus was apparently disappointed by who she found in the stone pit. She and her Kezlacks were most unimpressed. "The washed up ones...oh well kill them quick"  
  
"So all we had to do was teleport here?" grated Rocky.  
  
"There's safeguards," muttered Trini. "3—2—1!"  
  
The Buddha's body spun around on the ground, its eyes lit up and fired a blast at Matriarchus. She raised her hands holding out a spell script. A Chinese spell disc rose up and accepted the blast.  
  
"Whoa I felt that" Adam said as the remnants of the power in his body hummed in shock from the magical echo. "She couldn't have stood against that!"  
  
"Not an issue right now Adam!" Rocky exclaimed slamming a Kezlack into a wall and dodging a stab. Trini slipped into the style of the Mantis and delivered a series of crunching kicks.  
  
Kim back flipped into a Kezlack and knocked him flying. Jason sledge hammered down on one and caught him from the air swinging her around to kick three Kezlacks in their heads.  
  
Adam backhanded a Kezlack and kicked it so hard its face rang.  
  
"We have to get out of here!" Adam said. "INTO THE CAVE!"  
  
"It's not open!" Kim exclaimed harshly. She leapfrogged Kezlack but did another tackle shoulder. Jason gave a roar and gripped the Kezlack who'd tackled her by the back of the neck and smashed its face into a rock.  
  
"Come on we passed the test!" Adam roared.  
  
"Maybe we weren't worthy" Jason gasped as a soldier of evil slugged him in the jaw.  
  
"But we're power rangers" whispered Kim. And the doors rippled, bubbled and became light, spears of rainbows lashed out slaying Kezlacks. A shape flowed towards them. A woman who looked suspiciously familiar and so like Dmitria... it couldn't be.  
  
"Divatox?" exclaimed Adam.  
  
"Yes" whispered the woman. "Once I was...now I am Persephia who I always was... yet could never be". She pointed at Matriarchus. "This demon beast will never pass these doors, she can never have that power. But you five have remembered that once a ranger...always a ranger. Enter, you are Rangers now and forever and you must guard the hallowed blade."  
  
They looked at Divatox/Persephia one last time and rushed into the dark vortex of the cave doors.  
  
"NO!" shrieked the alien witch.  
  
"Yes" Persephia intoned. She raised her hands and blasted Matriarchus with a golden bolt. The light lifted the witch away and flung her out of the alcove.  
  
Cassidy paced. "Missing ex-rangers plus missing Map equals hell" she stated.  
  
"This is totally whack dude," Cyber Cam groaned.  
  
"I told you I'd clean your server if you called me that again and when I said clean I meant with a hatchet" Cassidy snapped icily.  
  
"Who chill d--"Cyber Cam vanished rather then finish the sentence.  
  
"We must not fear, destiny has a hand in this" Kanoi said somersaulting onto the console. "Let things run their course"  
  
"I'm new here," Cassidy said with a smile. "Excuse me for continuing to pace." She sighed and returned to pacing. "I need a walk" she groaned at last and walked out of Ninja Ops.  
  
"Tori! Can't we talk?" Blake said admittedly more pleadingly then he'd intended. "I wasn't insinuating anything!"  
  
"Yes you were" Tori said as she stormed out of her house. Blake had been on her phone trying to talk to her since she'd left him at the beach. She'd been so angry the sand had turned to glass under her feet! --Okay not literally but you get the idea.  
  
"I didn't I was angry with him!" exclaimed Blake.  
  
"Blake" hissed Tori as she trudged towards the beach. "You were JEALOUS of him talking to me! I've only just met Christian! JUST –MET! I don't know enough about him other then that he's a sweet, gentle and kind guy! And then you come along and make it seem like he's using it as an act!"  
  
"I just think it's weird he was there TWICE to save Kelly"  
  
"And maybe she was lucky!" Tori snapped. She turned and spotted s shape in a loose white shirt and long white trousers lying spread-eagled on the sand, the moon high over his head. Staring at the silver disk in the sky.  
  
"You can apologize to him now" she said, grabbed Blake's arm and marched towards Christian. She stopped when she saw the tear glistening on his cheek.  
  
"Christian?" Tori said carefully.  
  
He didn't move he just spoke in a croaking voice. "Hey Tori" he said. "Hi Blake."  
  
"What's wrong?" Tori asked kneeling in the sand beside him.  
  
"Hmmm..." Christian said, thinking. "I don't know myself. I feel...so...bad...like... a part of me is remembering something painful..."  
  
"What?" Blake asked slowly.  
  
"Someone betraying my trust, taking advantage of me...and this deep...this deep feeling of betrayal. As if...it was deeper then anything could ever be" he sat up slowly and stared out to sea. "I can't describe it without getting confusing" he sighed.  
  
Blake sat down beside him. "Any idea what it was?"  
  
"No" Christian said. "It hurt me, badly, mentally and physically..."  
  
He sat up and looked at them. "Anyway, you guys don't need this on your minds. And I have to go and help my landlords move some furniture..."  
  
"Landlords? Where do you live?" Blake asked casually.  
  
"Grey boarding house on the corner of Snow and Night" Christian said rising to his feet. "Mr Grey had a botched operation on his back, he's in a wheelchair now and so we, the borders, pitch in and do all that stuff for them."  
  
"Oh...do you want a lift?" Blake offered.  
  
"Nah I'm okay" Christian shrugged. He dusted himself off and straightened his clothes. "See you guys around."  
  
Tori and Blake linked arms as he disappeared over the dunes. "I was being nice..." Blake indicated their arms. "Does that mean I'm forgiven"  
  
"Maybe" Tori grinned.  
  
"Hmm...that's just not good enough for me," sighed Blake. He leaned over and kissed her. Tori's brain gave a giddy giggle and diverted all power from the rest of her body into the kiss...a single thought formed: "Tee-hee".  
  
Blake felt the fireworks going off as the little men in his brain started a conga line and spread the margaritas around. And look there were a few employees of Blake's Brain making out in the corner...yay...  
  
"Forgiven" Tori said as the kiss ended. She smiled and looked out at the water. "So, are you going to learn how to surf or do I date a landlubber?"  
  
"I might be persuaded to chance my arm" Blake said. "By a stunningly beautiful, funny and smart – not to mention fashionable – surfer babe"  
  
"Well since you put it that way..." Tori sighed and hugged Blake's arm. He leaned his head on hers and felt content...which was rare for him.  
  
Christian pushed open the door and looked around. The kindly old Mrs Grey appeared at the door, a lasagne in her oven mitts. "Hello Christian dear" she cooed. "How was your day?"  
  
"Okay, no jobs yet...but I'm working on it" he grinned.  
  
"Well you take your seat between Edna and Tomas and we'll get started".  
  
The eight other borders and Mr Grey waited inside. Mr Grey was confined to a wheelchair because an idiot of a doctor didn't stick to protocol and do the freaking procedure as it was supposed to be done...  
  
Zack Cooper and Joshua Belding, an inseparable pair who had moved in only a short while before Christian. They were passionately in love. Curly haired Joshua and his innocent blue eyes, black haired Zack and his party attitude...talk about opposites attract.  
  
Then there was Kayla and her daughter Mila. Mila was part Indian and had her fathers tanned features. Kayla however was evident in the shape of the 3 year olds face. Kayla was trying to tie her red hair back off her face.  
  
Edna was dressed in her loud floral dress. She made clothes for a living with Joan, Edna designed, and Joan chose fabrics and so forth then sewed them.  
  
Joan was a small woman in her late fifties with a serene aura around her and her brown hair primly styled.  
  
Tomas was a small man who looked the part of a stereotyped accountant. Sadly that's what he was, an accountant.  
  
Axel Stabbler was a blonde German bodybuilder. More muscle then brains but with a good heart. He and Mila were good friends...apparently Mila was the brains of the outfit.  
  
Kayla was trying to feed her daughter mush-peas. Mila was flicking them about.  
  
"Hello Chris" smiled Joan. "Bread roll?"  
  
"No thank you " he said. "So...what did everyone do today?"  
  
It was late and Cam was getting cranky. He'd wanted to curl up with a good book but, once more, Hunter had somehow made him rethink that and agree to come to this illegal sporting event with Dustin and him.  
  
Hunter was hopeful for attractive persons he could hook up with to attend the race. Which is why he'd taken a hand in Cam's dressing up as soon as they were outside ninja ops.  
  
"Hunter what are you doing?" Cam groaned as Hunter and Dustin dragged him out of the van to the side of the road. Hunter had bought the van recently...it had been a genuine steal. Really, the salesman had worn a tweed suit and had an advert where he said, "It's CRRRRRAAAAAAAZY" while waving his hands aimlessly.  
  
"Getting you dressed" Hunter said.  
  
"I am"  
  
Hunter shrugged and reached over to Cam's shirt. He unbuttoned the top buttons to reveal a nicely toned pectoral on one side. Cam straightened his shirt self-consciously and squeaked as Hunter loosened his belt and tugged his trousers down a little, just so his green boxers were visible over the end. "That's more like it" Hunter smiled. Dustin messed up Cam's hair. "Even better" grinned Hunter.  
  
Cam grumbled all the way there and even as they met up with this Hunt guy. He was wearing a heavy black leather jacket in the brisk chill of the night but it was worn more as a noticeable feature. Part of his identity...that was strange. But so was Hunt. He moved like a furious tiger. "Hey" he said in a strangely soft voice.  
  
"Hi" Dustin said in a sort of...choked--? – Voice that was definitely not his normal one.  
  
"Who're your friends?"  
  
"Dude! Sorry" Dustin said. "Cam and Hunter, Cam in green, Hunter in red...like sorry, I was flaking...which way to the race?"  
  
"Best seats on the bridge" Hunt said. "But don't get too close to the gap, it'll fall through like cheap cardboard."  
  
He pointed to a female rider in grey and black. "Lori Lang, best racer around. Only woman in this contest unless you count the rider in blue and green, but she's tougher then him even!"  
  
"Whoa! Look at her bike! And that dude's got a model not even on the market yet!" Dustin said with wonder. "Mucho cool-o" he exclaimed.  
  
"Only Dustin could find this interesting," sighed Cam.  
  
"Excuse me" Hunter said in mock indignation. "But I find this interesting too ya know!"  
  
Hunt smirked. "Do you guys want to meet anyone? I can introduce you to all the riders"  
  
"I have to talk to Lori Lang" Dustin said.  
  
"Except her" sighed Hunt.  
  
"Why?" Hunter asked.  
  
"We had a thing...it ended bad" shrugged Hunt. Dustin couldn't explain the funny falling feeling he felt. He liked girls...he wasn't...couldn't be...UPSET that Hunt had a girlfriend?  
  
Dustin had always thought that he might like guys, just a handful in comparison to the amount of girls he crushed on. Like...Marah...every time he saw her his heart got all fluttery and light and he couldn't help but feel like he was about to trip over his own feet just standing still...  
  
So what was up with him?  
  
He heard his morpher boop. The others looked around and Cam gripped his. "My pager" he smiled. "Uhh...gimme a sec" he darted to a slightly secluded alcove by the entrance to the bridge and connected to the base.  
  
"What's up?" he asked.  
  
"Hi to you too Cam" Cassidy grumbled. "I have bad news, the map to the cave is gone, the ex-rangers too...I think you're getting the idea..."  
  
"Have you tracked them?"  
  
"The map and their ranger tinted aura's are blocking us from finding them, like a negation affect. Besides the map leads to a place that technology can't find!"  
  
"Keep us updated and call us if you find them"  
  
He pressed the button and severed the link. He returned to the others managing to hiss a whisper to them as Hunt led them to their places on the bridge. The race began and Cam...sitting closely with Hunter...forgot for a while.  
  
Lothar viewed the rangers at the race and darkly smiled. "Matriarchus is busy at the moment" Choobo-D said striding with his staff from the shadows. "And I have other issues to attend to...should I send some Kezlacks down to deal with them?"  
  
Lothar chuckled coldly. "Ideal" he smirked. "And have someone bring me a latte"  
  
Choobo-D sighed. "I guess coffee duty come with the body" he sighed looking at Choobo's arms. "Oh well."  
  
Lothar tapped the keys on the PAM. "Now how did I call him up again?" he mused. "Oh yes!"  
  
The creature materialized. It had a flying saucer on its head and long tentacles shrouding its body. The black metal arms and legs had small rockets and saucers making fingers, palms and accessories. It cackled with true menace and bowed for Lothar. "My liege, command it and it shall be done!" he boomed.  
  
"Ah, Ufotental" Lothar smiled. "This is ideal for you. GO destroy the rangers!"  
  
"Here's your latte" grated Choobo-D serving the glass cup to Lothar. "Man, I feel like a woman." There was a crackle and the black light cloaked Choobo-D. When it dispersed he was now Bansheera. She examined her excessively long nails. "And a manicure" she added.  
  
"What's her deal?" Ufotental asked.  
  
"Don't know, don't ask" grunted Lothar.  
  
Ufotental retracted into his disk shaped head and zoomed away as Bansheera D set about filing her nails with a sword. "Oh brother" the dark despot groaned. What was it about the demon was it really such an airhead? There was something very subtle about it and he longed to know the full story.  
  
The rockets hit the track; two riders were flung into the air and landed painfully on the concrete slopes. A UFO hit the bridge and exploded, it began to crumble away. Cam grabbed Hunters hand as the Crimson ranger nearly went off the end. The alien saucer expanded into the monster. "Time for Terror!" he cackled.  
  
Cam pulled Hunter up with all his might. The crimson ranger staggered into him, pressing fully to the Samurai with a grunt. "Thanks" Hunter said, not moving from his close proximity. "I owe you one," he stated.  
  
Slowly he moved back, Cam swallowed nervously and nodded slowly. He turned and gripped his medallion. Dustin was already transformed. The panic had driven all the others away. Hunt was guiding most of the crowd off the bridge. He glanced around unable to see Cam, Hunter and Dustin.  
  
The pain hit Hunt. He rubbed his head and shivered as the thoughts came back to him, a reason not to hate...he hated it when this happened.  
  
Cam slammed a kick into the creature; it caught his leg in a tentacle and snared him in vines. "No calling for help!" Ufotental cackled.  
  
The vines wrapped around Cam and sent waves of power in. Cam screamed in pain as his circuitry shorted out, paralysing his weapons and defences. Hunter charged forwards and attacked with his staff. A savage punch sent him flying as a tentacle whipped Dustin several times.  
  
"He's shorted my powers out" Cam groaned, rising. Dustin roared in pain and collapsed down. He looked at Cam; their suits were flickering on and off. Hunter raised his shield and deflected the blasts from Ufotental's eyes. "My systems are totally depleted!"  
  
"Run I'll hold him off" Hunter said.  
  
"And when he gets you he'll suck you dry like-like-"  
  
"A soda?" Dustin interjected helpfully.  
  
"Thanks Dustin" Cam sighed, rolling his eyes. "We have to stay and fight this out".  
  
The alien approached with a laugh. He snared Hunter. "Feeding time!"  
  
"Is it true about alien probing?" a voice called. "Or is that scare mongering?"  
  
The white blast hit the alien and floored him. He turned and lashed out; a green spark deflected the tentacle away from the White Astral Ranger. "Touchy subject I guess" smirked the White ranger. His V shaped visor glowed green and propelled the Alien backwards into a post on the bridge.  
  
"One more for me then!" Ufotental cackled. Hunter slashed down as he flipped over the monster. "Hey!"  
  
Hunter landed. "Hey what?" he stood back to back with the White Astral Ranger. They mirrored each other as the Astral Ninja summoned his scythe.  
  
"Crimson Thunder Ninja, nice to meet you" Hunter said.  
  
"White Astral Ninja" nodded the other. "Pleasure's all mine. Let's take this chump."  
  
The darted forwards. They cartwheel-drop-kicked the alien, spun into elbow shots and slammed down with karate chops following up with a barrage of kicks. They moved in mirror images of each other, kicking and punching expertly...together.  
  
And then Ufotental hurled the UFO at them. White Astral shoved Hunter out of the way and took the disk to his chest. He collapsed with a grunt and forced himself up. "Hey you oversized Spaghetti strainer!" Hunter shouted. He felt a buzz running through his chest...it hurt but only in the back of his head...  
  
He fired his Crimson blaster at the creature repeatedly. He couldn't figure out why he was angry...but he couldn't contain it...he blasted the monster down. Unaware a tentacle was snaking around his ankle.  
  
"Hunter watch out!" shouted Cam. Too late, Hunter was flat on his back as it flipped him over and snapped him like a whip against the road.  
  
"Bold toilet snake, play dead!" White Astral slashed down with one of his two short swords. "And while you're at it...STAY THAT WAY!"  
  
With a hiss the monster flipped to his feet and lunged. White Astral glowed green and flipped over the beings heads, landing in a crouch and spinning with both swords. He snapped the hilts together and hurled them. "Sword spinner" he snapped as the twin swords sliced through the monster and returned.  
  
It roared and lunged. White Astral pulled out his blaster and snapped his swords into their places above and below the barrel. "This handy dandy multi-purpose tool is available at all good Astral ninja Academy's for only $99.99!" he quipped and fired. The bolts hit the monster and it fell back.  
  
"Scarab Scythe! Rifle mode" exclaimed the Astral Ranger as his twisted scythe shifted into a rifle. He fired.  
  
"Oh damn" Ufotental mumbled...and exploded.  
  
"Wow!" Dustin exclaimed as his power reserves refilled, the yellow light flowing to him. "That was way cool dude!"  
  
"Thanks for your help" nodded Cam carefully.  
  
"It's not over yet!" warned the White Ninja. "Here comes his dose of steroids!"  
  
The roaring monster rose up. "Hello puny power punks!" he bellowed.  
  
"If I eat my greens will I be as big as you?" shouted the Astral Ninja. "Hey, let's play your game...Scarab! COME ON DOWN!"  
  
The domed roof of the Museum shimmered and gave way for a flying white, black and green Beetle robot. The scarab's wings buzzed as The White Astral Ninja leapt upwards and into it.  
  
"Scarab let's go get MIB on alien boy's ass!"  
  
The scarab shimmered and vanished. It reappeared in the air and swept down on the creature. It charged its antlers and hurled two green boomerangs at the alien. The creature roared and fired two rockets off its wrists. The Scarab veered off to one side in the air and fired another charged bolt. The scarab released a Gattling gun burst of energy down on Ufotental and finally hit him with lightening from his antlers.  
  
"Oh that hurt" boomed Ufotental.  
  
"This'll hurt more," stated the Astral Ranger. The Scarab leapt up and released a cloud of cybernetic scarabs attached themselves to the alien. "Show him what for boys!"  
  
The scarabs glowed green and sent currents of energy straight through the creature, detaching and spinning into a cyclone that lifted and flung him like a rag doll upwards before they launched after him and passed straight through him before returning to the Scarab zord.  
  
"That was impressive" Cam murmured.  
  
The robot jetted away leaving the rangers to hop off home...  
  
Christian curled up in the corner of his bed, his T-shirt stuck to him, his body trembling into a virtual seizure. "No...I am begging you...don't! Please!"  
  
The fists rained down on him with laughs of pure menacing hatred. He was grabbed, dragged through the halls...thrown into a shallow bath of ice water and his head shoved under the water.  
  
He curled tighter into a ball and sobbed himself to a dreamless sleep.  
  
TBC:  
  
A/N: My general wants at least 3 gay rangers...well? Should DUSTIN be gay? (Votes for Cam and Hunter are pretty heavy so it's a given). Tell me what you think. VOTE NOW BEFORE THIS CRAAAAAAAAZY OFFER ENDS! And review too. 


	10. Tribulation Trickery

TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY 10

== WARNING: This chapter gets much darker and the Rating is now R (This is because I'm going to be writing a sequel and it will have more serious and sinister themes). This chapter implies physical and sexual assault on a minor (in a flashback). The fact is the story was meant to be a mixture of romance and a bit of a study into the psyche and the darker things that can happen in it. I'm heading into the original plan that will continue in the sister/brother to this fic.

You Have Been Warned. I'm a dark minded person who never liked the positive approach to reality they showed me on TV.

Chapter 10: Tribulation Trickery

"The map warns us of a trial," exclaimed Trini as she followed Jason and Rocky up the stairs. "The Tears of the Ancients" she read.

Kim sprinted on ahead...and skidded to a halt. "Yeah! Found it!" she called, teetering on the edge of a steep drop.

The cavern was long, with a narrow with carved stone faces on it. There were five in total carved with a bearded (Greek Philosopher/Deity style) man at the far end who's beard was made of falling water and the rest: a sad (Celtic face painted warrior style) woman, a thoughtful (Geisha style) woman, a serene looking Native American man with warriors headdress and lastly a rather cold featured centurion with hard features and war paint.

Water spouted from their eyes falling into the rock pool below that had sharp spikes of rock standing out of the water. There was a thin path across the cavern to the waterfall beard man. "We have to cross it" Adam said with a groan.

"Oh bliss," sighed Kim.

"Hey! Are those stalagmites or stalactites?" Rocky asked as he pointed down.

"Stalagmites" Kim said. "They stand Mightily..."

Adam looked at the path. "It looks safe enough...we should try to cross it." No one moved. "We should really cross it..." Still there was no movement. "Anyone volunteering?"

"You" the others chorused. Then relented. "Together." Slowly they stepped out onto the narrow stone bridge. Immediately there was a hiss as a crushing sheet of steaming water and stone came from the doorway and sealed them in. The tears of the huge faces stopped and immediately began to spit the water in timed blasts.

"We have to do this right," Adam said, he moved ahead since he was first in line. He knew that one geyser of the powerful jets would throw him down into the swirling pit below. It wasn't a happy thought to have.

"Okay, lets go!" Adam shouted and ran and dived under the first blast of water the droplets of icy liquid pattering onto his shirt. He rolled forwards onto his feet and looked at the others. They came in pairs after him. Rocky reached his side and Kim and Jason stood behind him with Trini. He and Rocky darted ahead as the next geyser stopped and skidded to a halt, stopping and going. "Take it in turns!" Adam called. "The bursts are timed".

He managed to avoid one, the pressure brushed against his back but he was safe. He reached the curtain of water, damp and unhappy. With a sigh he stepped through and all the water vanished...

"Well, thank heavens for a sudden drought" Rocky grinned.

"Very sudden" Jason muttered.

Hunter collapsed on his bed. Blake was sound asleep and just because he'd seen the White Astral Rangers zord Hunter had no need to wake his brother up. He sighed and turned off with a grimace, kicking off his shoes and jeans. Content that Cam and Dustin were safe at home...

Hunter fell asleep at last...and then the dreams started.

He could remember the party. He'd been 14 and it was one of the ninja academy's student parties in an under-age club. He was in the room again and there was someone behind him, he couldn't see whom...but the set of arms snared him around the torso as a hand covered his mouth. There was someone else in the room...they locked the door and spoke in a rasping voice. And then Hunter was shoved back into a bed...but he passed through it in his dream, he didn't stay, he escaped, he liked this fantasy and he didn't stay behind for the beating he got. Or...the other ---attack

He climbed through the branches of darkness and ran into the tunnel. He was afraid, he could feel them breathing at his neck and cursing him...he whimpered and climbed the ladder into the dungeon tunnel, the darkest part of his mind, where he'd lived when Lothar made him hurt the Wind Rangers.

He curled up and lay their whimpering. He could feel a hand on his arm. "Don't do this," the woman's voice whispered. "Don't hide from your demons be brave".

And then the hand was gone. Hunter let the darkness cradle him...it was easier to be afraid.

"The next trial is the Flame of Wisdom" Trini said. "Can anyone see it?"

The roar of flames from around the corner answered her question. The ex-rangers entered the wide, round room with the flame burning in the pit in the centre of the room. The door behind them became a wall of flame as they entered trapping them once more. The faces of the ancients surrounded the room, flame sin their eyes. The Serene woman was on the opposite side of the wall with flames in her mouth and eyes; the flaming vortex was evidently the way out.

The floor tiles were flat diamonds of concrete over the scorching rock. "We have to cross on the tiles," said Trini. "But these symbols...they're numbers...and letters." The symbols on the tiles morphed into English numerals and lettering. "Okay..."

She touched a tile with B9 on it with a nervous foot.

The ball of flame spat at her head. The rangers ducked in the nick of time. "That was close it nearly singed my hair!" exclaimed Rocky running a hand through his dark locks.

"Let's see..." mused Trini. "Of course!" she said abruptly. "Matching the letters with their number of order...A1! Follow me exactly"

She hopped onto A1, then B2 and then C3, skipping nervously, aware that a single wrong step would result in total scorching. She landed on N14 and faced the gate. "Now how do I get past this?" she muttered.

"The fire extinguisher?" suggested Adam.

"No" Trini said absent-mindedly. "Too much fire"

She bit her lip and then reached over to the flames...they recoiled from her and pulled apart like a curtain. "Hmm...that makes the security redundant" she muttered. The rangers entered the corridor and descended the stairs.

Hunter opened his eyes. Why? Because even if it was still dark out the orange strip of light should not be coming from that angle because it was the very wrong angle. He opened his eyes and realized he was inside a vibrant red plastic tunnel. He crawled out and looked around. He was wearing his tightest t-shirt and shortest boxers...and was in the public park. (A/N: That's thought-candy for General.)

"Hunter?"

He turned and looked down from the tower of the play frame in the playground. Hunt was standing below looking up at him oddly as he approached. "I thought it was you," the dark haired boy said. "What are you doing on the play castle, in your underwear at 5 in the morning?" he paused. "You can get arrested for this type of thing," he added.

"Huh? Oh!" Hunter slipped down the slide and looked at Hunt, straight in the dark blue eyes. "I don't know how I got here..." he frowned. "What are you out here for? Since we're on the subject."

"Come with me, I have some old clothes in my jeep". Hunt turned and walked towards the black jeep parked nearby. Hunter followed slowly and watched him filter through the junk in his boot. Hunt sniffed a shirt and tossed it back in. "Black jeans" he said. "Best I can do."

He removed his jacket and handed it to the blonde ranger. "Here, warm up" he muttered. "The jeans mightn't fit"

"Thanks" Hunter said slowly. He slipped into the black jeans perfectly. "Hunh, perfect fit. Thanks." He pulled on the jacket and rubbed his arms. Hunt started up the engine of the jeep. "You're lucky I amn't blading this morning, climb in."

Hunter slipped into the passenger side and nearly got whiplash as Hunt sped off. "So...Hunt...the race was way cool...well up until that freaky alien turned up and thrashed it" Hunter said.

"Yeah" Hunt said. "But there's been a damn rash of them around here."

Hunter looked at the driver. "So why are you out here?"

"Look in the back," sighed Hunt.

Hunter leaned into the back. Ski poles, roller blades, ice skates, skis and hockey stuff. "I'm into ice sports," explained Hunt. "Big time. I'm on my way to the fake slopes"

"This early?" mused Hunter looking at the rising orb of light.

"Yeah" sighed Hunt. "It's always best to get there early. Then I can go to the ice rink or roller blade arena. Depends on what I want to do. Probably the ice."

Hunter gave a nod.

They pulled up at the apartment block Hunter and Blake lived in. "Thanks for the lift" Hunter said. "I better see if my brother has freaked yet."

"Probably" said Hunt. "Look like someone climbed out the window, down the tree and across the green. I'm no expert but I'll guess it was you".

"Probably" grimaced Hunter. "Look I'll see you around."

"Count on it" smirked Hunt. "Have fun trying to explain why you were in the park in your underwear...sleep walking to that extend will get you noticed."

Hunter laughed as Hunt pulled off and sped away. He turned and trudged back to his apartment.

Matriarchus hurled the bolts at the statue. "OPEN UP!" she shrieked.

The cavern was called The Trial Of Stone on the map. It was aptly named, the pentagon stones floated on a magma lake with the faces of the ancients spewing lava from their mouths, this time their upper torsos and faces jutting from the rocks, stone cups in their hands that overflowed with Magma.

"Is it me or is it hot in here?" quipped Rocky.

"This is really not the time" Adam grimaced.

Jason looked out across the lava. "Look" he said pointing at the platform at the other end of the hall. The Centurion rose above a pillar, magma dripping down past it. Jason looked at the other. "We have to reach there," Jason said.

"One at a time" Adam said.

A long rock burst out of the wall and shattered on the other wall. A ball of magma spat from the lake of molten rock and burst on a step. Behind them the door had closed with a crunch by heavy rocks. "I'll go first," Jason said. Before anyone could protest he leapt onto a rock panel. Immediately it began to sink.

"Don't follow!" Jason called back. "They're sinking!"

"Come back we'll find a way out!" Kim shouted. "You can't risk yourself!"

"No, there isn't any other way!" Jason exclaimed.

He leapt onto the next rock and ducked in time to avoid a sharp stone hissing past his head. He hurled himself across the floating steps, heat on his back...he landed on the stone steps to the pillar with a grunt of pain. He scrabbled to his feet and rushed to the pillar. The magma in the Centurions hands dribbled down onto the button, making it unreachable.

"Jason!" called Trini. "Don't touch it!"

"It's the only way through" swallowed Jason. He raised his hand and slammed down. The magma cooled before his hand touched it, the black rock shattered like an eggshell. The button crunched down and froze the magma in blackness. "I think its safe to cross!" Jason called.

They hurried towards him and reached the steps...just in time for the rock steps and platform to creak and fall open right down the middle. The five plunged straight down into the darkness.

Lothar hurled the explosive laser blast at the Kezlack. It exploded and disappeared. "She's not retrieved the sword?" he growled. "She's SUPPOSED to have the sword!"

"Oh don't worry uncle" Kapri said. "She'll get it! And even if the rangers get it, she has the red rangers mother to use as a bargaining chip."

"True...where is The Demon?"

"At the dungeon cell" Marah said simply.

"She spends far too much time down there torturing the ninjas we've collected" Lothar said with a sigh. "It's just not healthy!"

"For them maybe" giggled Kapri.

Blake rang the bell of the large house Tori lived in. She answered with a grim look in her eyes. "My Aunts are here," she said as she dusted the shoulders of his jacket off. "You're in the territory I thought was reserved for my definite future husband."

"Are you saying you wouldn't like me as a husband?" grinned Blake with mock disappointment. Tori put her hands on his shoulders and stared into his eyes.

"This – is – not – a – time – to – joke –" she said firmly.

Blake flinched. She was deathly serious. "It's not like they're the Spanish Inquisition" he sniffed. Tori muttered something like "they're worse" and lead him to the brightly lit sitting room with polished pine floors.

Mrs Hanson sat between two women. The one on her right had bushy red hair and dark green eyes; she wore outrageously coloured flamboyant robes. The peace sign around her neck in the midst of dozens of sets of colourful beads gave away her hippy nature.

The other woman was dressed primly in a grey business suit and had her honey blond hair tied up in a bun. She was slender and cool. Her dark eyes skimmed him swiftly and critically.

"These are my aunts" Tori said. "Summer and Gertrude"

Surprisingly Summer was the woman in the business suit and Gertrude was dressed as the hippy. But Blake was now reminded never to stereotype things.

"Tori, go and fetch some tea please" Mrs Hanson insisted. "Blake, take a seat".

Blake looked at the small dining chair on set before the sofa the trio sat in. He took his place nervously and managed a smile. "So" Gertrude said. "What star sign are you?"

"Pardon?" Blake said.

"Ignore her" Summer muttered. "We just have a few questions for you..."

And so they commenced:

Do you drink? Do you smoke? What are your interests? Do you like surfing? What religion are you? Are you vegetarian or vegan? Do you believe in post marital relations? What do you plan to do after school? Do you have a part-time job? Are you in tune with the universes cosmic balance? Have you now or ever been involved in a car chase that proceeded through two or more states?

In the kitchen Tori shakily poured the tea. She was insanely jealous her father could hide away in his study or at the restaurant. With a sigh she edged into the room with the tray.

"And your parents?"

"I was adopted"

"And those parents?"

Blake spoke slowly. "Deceased" he said calmly. Mrs Hanson looked up. "I see."

Tori gave a smile and placed the tea tray on the coffee table (A/N: oxymoron or irony?). "Mother, let's not make this the Spanish inquisition now".

"We're not the Spanish inquisition," laughed Gertrude.

"We're not allowed use thumb screws" Mrs Hanson said with a small smile.

Blake swallowed nervously.

Hunt glided along the ice. He felt better about himself as he sped along the cold, frozen water on the narrow blades. He spun gracefully and laughed. "All the best plans come together...this easily."

The thoughts rushed at him.

He started to remember. The chocolate chip mint ice cream on the veranda with his grandparents in Paris. He smiled at them, they smiled back and...he felt happy and there was so much...love in him.

He gripped his head and skidded along the ice, collapsing on the cold plating beneath him.

"Why are we at the ice rink?" sighed Dustin.

"I want to return these to Hunt" Hunter replied as they walked into the large indoor rink. "And I'm guessing he's here since the slopes are closed today."

Cassidy sighed. "Okay lets hurry up I want to meet this Christian guy at the mall, if he can read an unused and pretty exclusive language like the tongues of the Mara-Ishii I need to have a word."

"Cam's already looking into, like, his background" Dustin said. "Don't worry d-"

"Threat to Cyber Cam stick to you" warned Cassidy with a little song on the words.

"What the---guys!" Hunter exclaimed. He ran around to a door onto the ice and skidded over to the unconscious Hunt. "He's breathing..." he said with relief.

"Hey, Hunt, dude" Dustin said slipping over to Hunt's prone form. "Wake up man."

Cassidy was about to run for help when Hunt groaned and sat up. "You okay?" Hunter asked helping the dark haired guy up.

"Yeah, just a slip" muttered Hunt.

Hunter guided the black and grey clad teen to the side of the rink. "What happened?"

"Oh, I just wasn't careful" Hunt said calmly. Dustin was about to say something when he slipped and flipped on to his front. Cassidy sighed.

"As Dustin has just demonstrated," she muttered as she slid over to the yellow ranger and helped him to his feet as he slipped failing to stand properly. "I believe he was about to ask how you managed that".

Hunt's lips tugged to an almost smile. "I wanted to return your jacket and jeans," Hunter said. "And to say thanks for the lift."

"Snuttin" mumbled Hunt rubbing his temples.

"Are you okay?" Cassidy asked.

"Yes" Hunt said.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive" smirked Hunt. "Untouchable" he added jabbing a thumb at his black muscle shirt. Cassidy raised an eyebrow.

"Big claim, can you back it up?" Hunt just smiled.

The slide ended in a wide cavern of pillars and mist. Lightening crackled on the pillars, darting off into the air. The rangers walked through the maze of pillars. "Anything?" called Adam.

"Zilch" reported Rocky.

"What's this place called?" Jason asked.

"The Fanged Wind Tunnel" Trini said as she glanced at the map.

"That's reassuring," muttered Kim. "I just feel all warm and fuzzy inside now".

Adam paused and looked at a deep pit where a hurricane of winds and clouds dotted with lightening swirled. "Found something" he called.

"A giant vortex...of course" sighed Rocky. Below the Ancients held up the lever on a pillar. "Guess we have to pull that".

"But if we go in there we get shredded like a papier-mâché figurine" Jason muttered.

"Nice simile" Kim muttered. "Well? What now?"

"One of us goes in" Rocky said. "I say me".

"What?" Adam exclaimed. "You cannot go in there!"

"Yes I can, I just jump" Rocky said.

"Rocky" Kim said calmly. "Why IN THE SEVEN HELLS would we let you go in there?"

"Because I can do it," Rocky said. "Besides I was a ranger for less time then you guys. Just because my back got hurt...look I can do this!"

And then he jumped, straight down the middle and grabbed the lever. The clunk and whirr of gears signalled the wind and lightening to cease, the mist was sucked from the vortex and the statue of the ancients rose up, Rocky dangling from the lever. He dropped down and flashed 1000-watt smile. "Tada!"

Adam punched him in the arm. "Don't ever do anything so stupid again!" he exclaimed.

"Awwww! You were worried!" smiled Rocky.

"Door" Adam said flatly. They walked through the archway and into the narrow rock corridor. There was a crunch and in a single line they all slid straight down the slippery slope.

"I HATE THIS CAAAAAAAAAVVVVVVVEEEEEE" Kim screamed.

"You look blown away" Christian said. Blake just clutched his head, his elbows on the table and made some sort of nod. Tori leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"He survived my aunts and mother" she smiled. They sat in the café called Rule, it was just across from Storm Chargers and they sat outside at two tables pushed close together.

"I've seen her family," sighed Dustin. "They are scary".

"With a capital S-C-A-R-Y" grinned Shane. Tori flicked his ear and he retreated.

Cam and Christian were sitting close pouring over the book. "So what this says is that there's some sort of power source that the Matriarchus demon gets her spell circles from"

"Yeah" Christian said. "Your interest in the bizzaro creatures in this book is kind of scary, might I add. Why the interest in the creatures and cave and all that? There's stuff here about herbal potions and spells and weirdly accurate prophecies".

"Very" Cassidy said dryly. She was sitting beside Hunter.

Christian rubbed his forehead and shook his head. "Okay, where were we?"

Hunter frowned as Christian's reading of a paragraph became slurred. "Are you okay man?"

"Yeah" Christian managed. "Just tired..."

His hand twitched...and then his body twitched rapidly. He collapsed off the stool in a seizure, the control he had over his body gone. Hunter could see and feel the fear in the boy as he rushed to his side.

Tori pulled out her cell. "Hello? We need an ambulance at the Rule café..." she said panic in her voice. "He's having a seizure"

=======================

Hunter and Cam rushed along with the stretcher, the others waited behind. "17 year old boy, had a seizure in the mall" the woman ambulance driver exclaimed. The doctor (some Noah Wylie look alike) rushed to the stretcher. "Okay, this shouldn't be too bad...did you sedate him?"

"No he fell unconscious" Hunter said. "Before the ambulance got there"

"Okay, there's nothing to worry about. Your brother will be fine"

"He's not my brother"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I assumed..." the doctor was cut off as Christian went into another seizure. "Okay let's check this out!"

Hunter and Cam were pushed away and left in the hall.

"Ah you again, Motocross boy" the German nurse sighed. "Vot zis time?"

"Our friend has a seizure," Cam said.

"Vell, name?"

"His? Christian Cross" Cam muttered. "And he's 17...and that's all I know..."

"Vot about parents?"

"No idea" muttered Hunter.

Helga gave a sigh. "Vell this is nice," she muttered. "Veel call if anything comes up."

"We'll wait" Hunter said firmly.

A while later the doctor appeared and walked over to them. "Your friend had a massive seizure, he's out now under sedation but that was a close one. Has he a history of this?"

"We've only known him a short while," said Cam. "I should probably go to Grey's Boarding House, that's where he stays so...maybe they might know."

"Grey? Huh? Best if Dr Rose doesn't hear about this, the boarders have a vendetta against the snob. He botched an operation and paralysed Mr Grey. Everyone Hates him with a capital H" the doctor smirked. "Mr Grey was good people too. Anyway that pompous ass needs to face the music sometime but he wasn't charged with stupidity so I feel justice was never met...sad really"

Cam and Dustin looked at each other.

========================

The tunnel was cold. "The Heart of Ice" Trini managed through chattering teeth. "And I b-b-b-b-b-bet you can s-s-s-s-s-see why"

Kim advanced to the front with Jason and Rocky on either side. "See anything?" she whispered as she looked at the round passages of glittering ice-rock, forked to one side, golden light coming from one side and blue from the other.

"It's surreal," murmured Adam.

Kim took a step forwards---a shape stepped forwards. A giant snow tiger with glowing blue eyes and an aura of cyan smoke. It roared loudly. "No one move" Kim whispered. "The normal tiger doesn't attack if you don't give it a reason to."

"It's not a normal tiger," hissed Rocky

And Kim moved. She darted forwards and performed a somersault flip, planting her hands on the tiger's neck and vaulting over it into a sprint down the blue tunnel. The tiger sped after her. Kim felt her heart pounding in her chest, rising to her throat. She was luckily still in good shape. She skidded to a in the round ice cavern. The ice was firm and dry under foot, a mist rising off it.

The tiger bounded in. Kim threw herself aside into a roll as it lunged at her and crashed into a pillar of ice. A thunderous wave of snow poured down on the hapless creature that gave a strange meow of fear before it was buried from neck to tail in snow.

Kim rose shakily and walked forwards. The tiger lay on its side in the snow. It was still breathing. Kim approached slowly and found the tigers paw. There was a sharp stone jutting from it.

She recalled the story of David and the Lion...or was it Jonas and the Lion? Or George, or Samson...or Peter? She kneeled down without thinking and stroked the tiger's paw before pulling on the stone firmly. The tiger grunted and opened its blue eyes.

"Kim!" Jason sprinted in and skidded to a halt, passing her before scrabbling to her side as she tossed away the stone. "Are you okay?"

"It had a stone in its paw" she explained as she rose and walked over to the others. "That's probably why it attacked. It's like that story about the Christian who pulled a thorn from a lion's paw and in return it didn't eat him in the coliseum---what's wrong?"

Everyone was staring past her. She slowly turned and stared. The tiger stood in the snow staring at her. It turned and shook its head at the small white passage hidden by optical illusion of colour. Kim followed it. The others walked behind her at a greater distance until the tiger faded away, leaving them before a door of stone with the faces of the Ancients set in it.

"What now?" Rocky whispered.

The door hissed open to reveal a narrow cavern with gigantic stone doors...and a sword in a glowing blue field of light.

"We grab the sword," suggested Adam.

============================

Dr Rose sighed and shoved the rubbish onto the floor in front of the Venezuelan cleaning woman (who had the unfortunate plight to be stereotyped on her application to work in maintenance and sent straight to the Hell of floor cleaning) with a sneer. She gave a swift curse to the man and continued to clean. Dr Rose moved on with an air of superiority. He paused, there was a light coming from the medicine supply room. Rose frowned and entered, poking his head in first...the clear tube was strong, it wrapped around his neck as the strong arms snared him and pulled him close tightening the tube so he couldn't shout for help...cutting his air.

Until he was dead.

======================

Hunter lay awake, scared to sleep. Because if he did, the hands would hold him down and tear at him...and he'd cry for help or something and have to tell Blake what happened and---Blake would be the one with the answers and he might never come to Hunter for help again and their bond would break.

He wiped the tear and closed his eyes to stop anymore forming.

"Hunter? Blake? Dudes?" Cyber Cam jolted Blake awake with a small yelp of "Tori!" Cyber Cam spoke up as Hunter answered.

"We located a major concentration of Kezlacks...any chance you guys are up to meet the other dudes there?"

"On it" nodded Blake.

"They're at the cave" Cassidy said. "Which means bad-bad-uber-evil things can happen there...watch yourselves. I want you all home safe."

"She so digs us" smirked Hunter quietly.

"I HEARD THAT HUNTER"

Hunter swallowed and rolled out of the bed.

========================

The Kezlacks hacked at the statue, the white dress of Persephia fluttered in the winds, glowing with ether as she propped her chin on her knee and crossed her legs, sitting atop the Buddha. Matriarchus was blasting away with as much anger as she had. Which was a LOT.

"Hey! Mother Weird!" Shane's blaster fired. Matriarchus staggered back with a shriek. "Don't you know that when they don't answer if you knock they aren't going to answer at all?"

"Oh, but I'm special" she rasped. The glittering blast hit Shane full on and knocked him aside. Tori raised her sonic fin and shouted.

"2-4-6-8 WHO DO WE APPRECIATE---NOT YOU!"

The group of Kezlacks caught in the beam exploded. Hunter and Cam sliced through the other Kezlacks staff and sword slicing the air. And then the shape shot through the air. Baboo-D glided down and sliced across Cam's torso and Hunters back with its staff. He morphed into the shape of Divatox...this got the attention of Persephia.

"Hello boys" Divatox-D sneered. She slashed the air and a wave of purple light lashed out and blasted at Hunter. Cam grabbed the Thunder Rangers arms and pulled him out of the way, narrowly avoiding being caught himself. "That was rude" sniffed Divatox-D

"HEY! GET THE HELL OUTTA MY FACE" roared Persephia in her old Divatox voice. Divatox-D stared in shock as she was hit with blue lightening and flung away. Cam and Hunter rolled as the lightening carried them. Hunter landed on top of Cam and managed to arch his back inwards to look over his shoulder...and pressed a certain point of his anatomy into the same part of anatomy on Cam's...and it was definitely above knee level...

Dustin slammed the hammer into the body of a Kezlack and sent it shooting away before leaping into the ground and vanishing through the stone. He shot out and hurled himself into the confused group of Kezlacks.

"Hey everybody! Anyone for a game of Whack-a-Weasel?"

Blake deflected the blasts fired by Matriarchus as Shane fired a blast. Matriarchus raised a golden fist and a pink shield absorbed the energy. "YOU can't defeat ME rangers!" she cackled. "But give me the sword and it will be easy!"

Persephia descended from the statue. "Rangers! You must get to the other side of the mountain...your friends are on their way there!"

"Okay, let's go!" Shane exclaimed. The six rangers darted away.

"Ninja jumps are fast" smirked Matriarchus. "But teleportation is better".

There was a flash and she was gone.

===========================

Kim grasped the round seal, all of them were holding one... they nodded at each other and pulled. The five fastenings ground out of their slots and the field flickered, vanishing.

"Got it" Jason reported as he grabbed the sheathed Kitana and waved it a little for emphasis.

"Which way out?" Rocky asked.

"Take a guess" Adam said as he grasped a lever by the huge door...and pulled. The huge stone panels slid away, revealing---the rangers standing near the edge of the slope that dipped towards a river steeply--- fighting Kezlacks and Matriarchus.

"GET THE SWORD!" screamed Matriarchus.

Trini spotted an oncoming attacker. She spun into a kick and knocked him back before sweeping another's legs away and rising with both fists to send a final one shooting upwards to land on the Kezlack standing behind him.

Rocky battered both fists into a Kezlack in a series of jabs and finished with an expert uppercut knocking his foe flying. He blocked a dropkick swiftly and shoved the Kezlacks arm up and away. He pivoted and cracked a heel into side of a Kezlacks head. "Man I missed this" he sighed.

Adam performed a flip off a stone step at the cavern door and landed behind a Kezlack. He leapt and kicked both legs into the Kezlack, sending it staggering into three of its friends. Adam darted forwards and spun a roundhouse across the faces of all the soldiers clutching their comrade. He leapt up and kicked both legs out knocking two away so the third fell back under the weight of the Kezlack it was helping hold up.

Jason used the sword and its sheath to block the chop; he knocked the Kezlack off balance with a shove using the sheath and spun, hitting the hilt into the side of a Kezlack behind him. Another tried to grab him from behind, he slammed his leg backwards and the Kezlack went stumbling away.

Matriarchus hissed and hurled a ball of fire at Jason. "KIM! CATCH!" he shouted as he hurled the sword to his friend and threw himself in the opposite direction. The flames rose up as Kim cartwheeled forwards and grabbed the sword.

"Got it!" she shouted. She kicked a Kezlack away and performed a back flip over a Kezlack that charged at her back. She kicked it in the back of the knee and forced it down before hook kicking it in the face and leaving it down.

"Hey! PINKIE!" Matriarchus roared. She hurled the blast of light at Kim...the ex-pink ranger shot backwards and off the end of the cliff, her shoulder hit the earth as she started a long roll down the side towards the water, still clutching the sword.

"Damn, she was supposed to drop it" Matriarchus muttered.

"KIM!" Jason screamed as he rushed to the edge.

"I have to run rangers," sneered Matriarchus. "But remember red ranger, the sword or your mother dies! You have no choice..." In a flash they were gone.

Just like Kim.

All that remained was a faint froth on the dark waters of the river as it rushed down through the canyon. Jason felt his heart stop. "...No..." he whispered.

TBC

REMEMBER TO VOTE! So far the couples are: Cam/Hunter, Tori/Blake and---ah---that's about it are the only definite ones. Does anyone want to guess who murdered Dr Rose? Or who the white Ranger is...or the black...or if they're REALLY the same person?

I know the fic sucks...but it will be addressing darker themes later on and in the accompanying fic I have planned. Well. What do you think? Review please and Vote for couples.


	11. Broken Masks

TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY 11

CamFan4Ever: Okay, you win! In this chapter Hunter has fluffy thoughts about Cam and Cam admits he's developing a crush on Hunter...mneh-heheheh

ANEESHA11111199999: Ah Yes...but will the votes win? Tori and Blake have been big definite s they were MEANT to be together

Chapter 11: Broken Mask

Kim surfaced gasping for air, the sword clutched in her hand as she used the other to grab a rock and cling for dear life, the current tearing at her, trying to drag her to her death as she hugged the rock...

"I swear, if I make it out of this alive-I'll tell Jason why I broke up with Tommy!" she gasped. The sword glowed, the light crackled from it as it burst from her hand and shot upwards and away with a large flash of light.

"Oh for the love of-"

"KIM!" Jason skidded down the bank nearby with the others. "HANG ON!"

Tori raised her hands, the waters rose up around Kim, carrying her to the bank. "The sword go away," Kim said. "I think it landed in the forest...sorry"

"It's okay" Shane said. "We'll track it later...right now you guys need to go back to Ninja Ops for a check up...Matriarchus and the Kezlacks did a disappearing act when Kim and the sword fell."

Lothor sighed. "I don't know why I bother these days...the rangers always get what they want...it's depressing." His generals were assembled around him. "Now what?"

"I have an idea" D said. The form of Elgar was its selected one. "We occupy the rangers while our forces search for the sword...if we lure out the Astral Ranger you can use him. Provided the illusion that the Astral Academy is at war with the Wind and the Thunder Academies is still partially in place."

Lothor cocked his head to one side. "I'd almost forgotten about him. I still don't understand how he broke my mental control the first time around...oh well, Marah! Pass me the P.A.M"

"Here you go uncle" Marah smiled. Lothor took the PAM and then took a second look at it. It was now covered in fluffy strands and large ribbons.

"We thought it needed a polish up" Kapri said. Marah nodded in agreement.

"Oh never mind" sighed Lothor as he pressed the buttons. The alien appeared: it was a shark crossed with a pipe organ as far as Lothor could tell. It had a sousaphone over one shoulder and an accordion held by a pair of tiny hands on its chest. Its main talons had cymbals on the backs and its teeth were gold in colour.

"I am General Shkling" it exclaimed.

"Oh brother" sighed D. "What can it do?"

"My sonic waves can slow things down to a virtual crawl...and I play a mean accordion!" he rasped. He began to play. "Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match! Catch me a catch!"

The Demon levelled his staff at the being. "Don't make me blast important body parts off." Shkling shut up. "Okay...now to try and locate the sword."

"I'm the general here!" squawked Matriarchus. "I should say what happens! You're just my apprentice! I'm the big power!"

Elgar-D snorted and looked at Matriarchus. "Fine what do you suggest?" Silence. "Thought so. We need to do a scanner sweep on a frequency similar to the swords energies."

Cassidy opened the book. "The Astral morphers are two separate ones," she announced. "The Black and the white rangers cannot be the same person".

"But we saw him morph from one into the other" Shane said.

"That may be so," Cassidy said. "But then you saw him destroyed. I amn't totally sure what that was all about...all I can say is that we have serious problems if he's still switching. Then again, the morphers might be in the possession of two people we don't want to have them..."

"And so" sighed Cam. "We try catching him again--"

"He's the clever one" smiled Cassidy. "I just can't figure out how to lure him...he seems to just turn up for a fight..." a smile developed on her lips. "Oh...Oh yeah! I got it! Cam! Hunter!"

"I don't like the sound of this" Hunter muttered.

Kim sat on the bench with Trini. "It's cruel," she said. "We went through all that for the sword and.kaput. Nothing in the end."

"Everything happens for a reason," Trini said.

"Hey! Guys!" Rocky appeared from the waterfall waving with Adam in tow. "Guess what! I got a tattoo" he lifted his t-shirts sleeve to show the tattoo of the hawk on his upper arm. "Cool!"

"I noticed it in the showers" Adam said. "And he spotted mine" he showed them the turtle tattoo on his own arm. "We think its proof we passed the tests."

Trini and Kim checked their own arms. Trini discovered a small Praying Mantis and Kim found herself bearing a serpent shape. "We'd better look for Jason" Kim said.

"You've been looking forward to that all day" smirked Trini

"Don't start with me."

Hunter and Cam stood morphed on the building over looking the waters of the Harbour. The blue water was a mix of the colours of Blake and Tori; sadly they were waiting in the distance. "We just stand here until he attacks?" Cam muttered. "Cassidy...really!"

"It's a guarantee," snapped Cassidy, then she calmed her voice. "He won't turn down a chance to take a shot at you two. He's a fighter, his testosterone needs the reassurance he won't miss a chance."

"I just don't want him screwing with my brain again" Hunter shrugged.

"I've wired the helmets to give a dampening against his telepathy" Cam said. "Not full protection--but enough"

There conversation was shut down as a monster and Kezlacks appeared. "Hey rangers! Dance to this tune!" Cam reached for his sword, the sousaphone blasted them with ripples of distortion, the monsters sped up...He blasted the pair with beams of blue light from his eyes.

"Gs! Wappndyrmvinsislow!" Tori exclaimed at hyper speed. She sounded like one of the chipmunks. The monster blasted her as she raised her sonic hammer.

Shkling cackled darkly. "Oh that was fun!"

"Not as fun as this!" a voice shouted. The blur of white raced up the side of the building non-stop across the roof and slashed Schkling with two blazing swords. The White Astral Ranger raised both swords and cocked his head to one side. "Wow, that was fun!"

The freeze broke. They staggered free and dealt with the unprepared Kezlacks. "It's been real fun," Cam said as he approached. Schkling drew a breath to fire a slow pulse, the accordion stretching... the sword slashed him across the torso and brass horn. Hunter leapt up and fired his blaster.

"Since you like sound so much" Tori said as she raised her sonic fin. "1-2-3-4 kick that alien out the door!" the waves bounced Schkling up and down. "Hey he's got rhythm!"

"And I've got rhyme!" a voice cackled. Elgar-D stood on the entrance to the roof. "Little ranger, do not fear! You're all about to disappear!" He blasted downwards with his staff as the rangers leapt apart. The dark lightening razed the roof and tore a trench in it. Shane rolled aside and fired as Dustin darted towards Elgar-D. Who deflected the Hawk Blast into the yellow ranger. Dustin collapsed with a shout. "That wasn't impressive Red ranger! Stupid boy!"

"Then let a girl show you how it's done!" Tori exclaimed. "NINJA SWORD!" the sword slashes knocked Elgar off the box. He morphed with a shout turning into Ecliptor-D. "Now I'm angry!" he exclaimed. "Girls! Show them your new tricks!"

Marah and Kapri stepped out from either side of the stairwell box. Kapri pointed her sword and Marah aimed her staff. The blasts knocked Dustin, Tori, Blake and Cam aside. Shane and Hunter leapt at the girls. Hunter's staff met Marah's as Kapri and Shane crossed swords.

"I've been practicing Red Ranger" Kapri said. Shane was pushing down her sword; she was being forced to lean back. "Watch and learn!" she slipped off to one side, her sword slicing across his gut. The sparks rose as Kapri readied for retaliation. Hunter attacked, Kapri blocked and parried before jump kicking him off balance.

"Not Bad" Shane said.

"Glad you like it" Kapri smirked. She spun, the pink slice of energy blasted him off his feet, he landed in a back flip and fired his blaster. Kapri shrieked in shock and fell away.

Marah spun her staff before her; knock Hunters staff off hers and slashing it across his throat and down his arms. "Hah" she laughed. She stabbed him with the top and a blast of purple-pink energy sent him staggering backwards. Hunter blocked her next swipe and slammed her in the chin with his staff.

The rangers had their hands full. Dustin was back to back with The White Astral Ninja. "So...you're not trying to kill us?"

"No!" White said in shock. "Why would I?"

"Well you tried before"

"That wasn't me!" the White Ranger said. "That was The BLACK Astral ranger"

"Aren't you two the same one?"

"No" White Astral hook kicked Shkling in the side of the face and slashed down with both swords knocking the monster to Dustin who slammed his hammer down on Shkling's head.

"Whack-a-monster" whooped Dustin as he beat Shkling down.

There was a flash of lightening and power bolts knocked everything down. Standing in all his evil glory was Lothor with Shimazu and Matriarchus on either side. "Hello rangers, just though I'd drop in and kill you" he sneered.

"Hey Uncle!" Marah called as she scampered to his side with Kapri. Ecliptor-D stood beside Matriarchus.

"Allow me to show you all how it's done," he said. He raised a hand and the red blast knocked Shane into a wall. Another crashed Tori off a wall and onto Blake (neither was complaining about that part). He wound up a bolt like a pitcher on a baseball team and hurled it at Cam. Hunter leapt and took the bolt first. He crashed down.

"Hunter!" Cam gasped.

"Nephew dearest" snorted Lothor. "You really shouldn't have sided with your father. You're on a losing team!"

"That's not how I see it" Cam said.

"Oh well" sighed Lothor. "Here" he hurled the blast at Cam...the TK intercepted and pulled Cam upwards, as the bolt blew a hole in a nearby building. "YOU!" he exclaimed as the White Astral Ninja lowered his hands.

"Me" the White Astral ninja said. "I remember what you did to the academy!"

"Oh get over it" Zurgane snorted.

"I will...by putting you all six feet under" White Astral said.

"Oh I'm terrified!" Matriarchus said with mock fear and panic in her voice. She snapped her long dreadlocks at him, the sparks shot at him, he leapt up in a blur and swung his scythe down on her, she staggered away in shock.

"You should be!" he snapped.

"Or not" Lothor snapped. The blast hit the ranger in the arm; his scythe fell and clattered to the stone. Another hit his shoulder and spun him to face Lothor, the blasts hit him rapidly. Left Leg. Right arm, Chest, Chest, Right Leg, Forehead...and Throat. The White ranger collapsed to his knees as Lothor gripped his helmet. "I think reprogramming you to hate the rangers again will be better"

"Oh please" the White Ranger said in a strangled voice. "You just keep using that! What are you a one trick pony?"

"Is this even the same ranger? I mean White isn't even a colour!" Lothor exclaimed.

"Try this then" the White Astral Blaster fired into Lothor knocking him away, gripping him in telekinesis and flinging him like a rag doll. "I won't fall for the same trick again!"

"Fine, have it your way" Lothor said as Marah and Kapri helped him up. He hurled the two blasts of power. The White Ranger was blasted away. Right off the building

"That suits me" Lothor shrugged.

The Rangers stared as the figure of the Astral Ninja disappeared. Seconds later there was laugh. The Black Astral Ranger was leaning on the railing of the roof. "Man that was fun, I love seeing him take punishment!" He drew the sai daggers. "Still, you guys are interesting opponents so...what the hey! I'll destroy you all!"

He hurled the sai daggers; they slicked Zurgane and Motodrone across the chest and face respectively. "Yang Hail Storm Cannon!" he pulled the black gattling gun-like blaster form the air and fired. The blasts knocked Matriarchus, D and Vexxacus away. Lothor grimaced. "Have the rangers they're all yours." The Aliens disappeared leaving only the Kezlacks and Shkling (who was so confused it wasn't even funny).

"So who do I blast?"

"Try no one!" Blake exclaimed. He slammed the antler claw around Shklings body and lifted the alien up, lightening coursed through him and sent explosions across the monsters body. Tori leapt and slashed her sword down. "And it's two blue" she grinned. "For little old you!"

The Astral Ninja pulled his swords out. "This is fun"

"Odd definition of fun" Cams aid as he, Hunter and Dustin lined up.

"Oh...you know" shrugged the black ninja. He spun and leapt into the air hurling the sai at the stunned Shkling. The charged blades hit him and blasted him with red energy as the Yang blaster was whipped out again and opened fire blowing the alien away. "I'm unpredictable" the ninja sneered as he landed.

"Scroll of Empowerment" sighed Marah and Kapri together on the fortress up in space, the P.A.M held between them. "Descend".

As the others called their swords. Hunter and Cam handled the Black Astral Ninja, which proved harder then expected with his huge blaster blowing holes in the rooftop.

"Cam under fire" Cam sighed as they ducked in behind an air vent. "I just hate this part of the job, always being blasted by something or someone..."

"I'll distract him, you tackle from behind," Hunter said. Cam nodded and dodged off to one side. Hunter leapt up and used his shield to block the blast. "Come on! You can do better!"

"You know it" Black said. He leapt into the air and blasted down. Hunter deflected the blasts back at him blasting him out of his flight and to the ground. Hunter sprinted forward and attacked.

They blocked each other perfectly, neither landed a single punch, they could feel each blow coming before the other could throw it. "Well this is a first" the ninja gaped as Hunter trapped his arm and he twisted Hunter's arm. "I was the best ninja around!"

"Not at the Thunder Academy" Hunter quipped.

"Pfft" was the reply. They tried to throw each other but instead flipped horizontally in the air to land face down on the ground. The black astral ninja shoved off the ground into a series of back flips to pick up his sai. He was about to say something when Cam karate kicked him in the ribs.

"Two against one? Give up now" Cam said.

"Nawwww" chuckled their enemy. He whirled and blasted Hunter before jump kicking Cam in the face, knocking him off balance and slamming him into a wall with a follow up kick.

"NO!" Hunter shouted in panic as The Astral Ninja raised his swords to stab Cam. He fired his blaster as the White Astral turned in surprise. The helmet on his head exploded as he fell back.

The blast had been excessively powerful, but all Hunter could think about was not letting Cam die. There was something there, something that made Cam an important part of the team. An important part to Hunter. They didn't always agree...but Hunter was not going to lose...Cam.

The black astral ninja was on his hands and knees, shivering in exquisite pain. "That--hurt--you--bastard" he grated as he pulled off his helmet and threw it aside. He forced himself to his feet and turned around. The dark hair was mussed out of spikes, the small stud in his ear shone in the light and his eyes glittered maliciously.

"Hunt!" Cam exclaimed. "I knew it! Sort of--"

Hunt threw his head back and laughed. "Oh that stung!" he said. If anything the evil in his voice and eyes made him more...appealing? Tempting? To the world in general. "Well...now I owe you pain Hunter" he smirked. "And I bet I know how!"

His eyes shone as Hunters visor splintered under the telekinetic weight. He opened it and stared as Hunt grabbed Cam and spun him around, slamming him into a wall, sending energies flowing to the suit that made the medallion appear and drain the suit back in. Cam fell to the ground as Hunt blasted Hunter backwards and straddled Cam.

"Kiss of Death, reverse CPR" smirked Hunt as he pressed his lips to Cams and pinked the boys knows, he was holding the side of Cam's face in his hands and pinning his arms and body with his legs.

Hunter rose, the pain unbearable. Not because of the blaster wounds but because he could see Cam's life slipping away. He could almost feel the soft lips on his and the feel of the skin in his palm...

"NOOOO!" Hunter roared. He blasted Hunt with more thunder and lightening then he'd ever conjured in his life. The red tendrils lifted the writhing boy away, he was screaming in pain with an edge of pleasure on his voice...freaky? Yes. Disturbing? Yes. Evil? Maybe.

Hunter lifted Cam's head into his lap. "Cam? Cam?"

"Heart ache, misery and general malice! My work here is done!" cackled Hunt as he back flipped off the edge of the building, twisting into a corkscrew then three spins before elegantly plunging into the waters below.

Shkling exploded as the sword sliced through him. The rangers cheered...

Cassidy arrived back into the room to find Cyber Cam and the ex and current rangers looking at Cam. "Just near suffocation" Cyber Cam said. "No biggy for us, his ranger healing's already kicked in and the machines are going to totally keep my main dude A-OK."

"I saw everything," Cassidy said. "I went scanning for the sword. Cam, if you see Christian make sure to ask where he learned to read the symbols...He may have read the frequency to the sword and that puts him in danger. I found its general location... it's in the forest near where Kimberly fell into the river."

"We'll go" Rocky said grabbing Adam and Jason. "Coz it's just like old days"

"Not on this planet" Cassidy said.

"Cassidy is correct" Sensei said flipping onto the table. "It would be too dangerous. The sword is now in the forest and leaking magical energies. Shane, you will go and maintain contact, the others will be here to aid you if the need arises and to make sure we can handle Lothor and the Astral Ninja."

"Yes Sensei" Shane said as he turned to leave.

"And keep a clear head, Lothor needs your mother alive to get the sword...he knows we can find it faster then he"

"We have Sensei power" smirked Cassidy. "You should all go get some rest...we might be having troubles soon."

"I'll stay with Cam" Hunter volunteered a little too quickly.

"That is very kind of you Hunter" Sensei said. "But you should go home and sleep"

"No... I'll sleep here...I just feel bad that it was Cam and not me that got--" he hadn't told the others how Hunt had sucked Cam's oxygen out. "Got. And it wasn't me, if I'd been faster he'd still be conscious."

"But he's going to be fine" Trini said. "We were rangers long before you, you have more technology and we saw worse then this as have you. Don't fret, he'll be fine."

Hunter sighed and nodded. "But I'd prefer to be here"

"I'll make up some sort of couch beside the sick bed," Cassidy said at last.

Shane stopped, he was warm in his uniform but the cold touched his face. It was dark, early morning dark, he'd Ninja-Leapt to the woods but now he was walking, he didn't have the space to manoeuvre in the midst of the gnarled trees...

"Hey!" he turned and ducked as a bolt of pink blew a tree up. Kapri leapt onto a log and folded her arms under her breasts. "I knew if I waited I'd find one of you going to the sword!"

"Shouldn't you have waited until I got it?"

Kapri sighed. "Okay, I'm not being entirely honest..." she sighed. "Look...I hate what Uncle's doing; he's got your mother. That's wrong. If he hadn't turned Auntie Armiddia into a jade statue he'd never have owed Mom and Dad enough to take us onboard the ship. Anyway, he's always critical of us but we're not allowed say... you know...NO. So here's the deal. I'll help you find the sword if you trade it fro your mother to me. I get brownie points with Uncle and you get your mother back."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Coz I'm more trust worthy then Uncle or Matriarchus?"

"Good point" admitted Shane.

"Plus I know that your Dad comes back from his retreat next Tuesday and if you don't have your mother back by then you'll have lots of stuff to explain."

"How do you--"

"Space viewing" she replied and extended a hand. "Deal?"

Shane looked at her well-manicured hand. "I'll take the help but we bang out the details of the deal later" he shook her hand. She grinned.

"Soft hands. What moisturiser do you use?"

Tori stretched and yawned. Morning light was streaming through her window. She sat up and grabbed the clothes she'd set out to wear last night so she didn't waste time. She wanted to check on Cam (And Hunter, you'd have to be blind not to see the spark there if only they weren't so pigheaded they ignored it) and catch up with Blake.

She was humming as she descended the kitchen stairs and made for the backdoors.

"Victoria Grace Hanson, a word" her mother was seated at the table, her father was reading/shielding himself with/hiding behind- - his newspaper. "Sit" she said calmly. Tori knew the voice and tone being used. She sat carefully and waited. She was dreading.

"I don't want you see Blake behind my back" she said.

"MOM!" Tori rose angrily (The dishwashers waters abruptly began to spray out of the sides). "That's not fair!"

"Fine! If you chose not to see him that's your decision"

"Sorry? What"

"He's a fine young man who obviously cares about you. He's ideal...even if motocross is dangerous...but I'll forgive that much"

Tori couldn't hide the huge grin on her face. "YES! Thank you mom! Thank you"

"I doubt I could have stopped you seeing him anyway" she sighed. "Now, off you go, whatever you have to do is waiting."

"Okay, bye" Tori kissed her mother on the cheek and raced out the doors.

Cam opened his eyes and groaned. "Man I feel bad," he grumbled.

Hunter shot up from the chair he'd fallen asleep in. Cassidy was sitting at the scanner control table with Sensei on her shoulder. "You boys are finally awake! I was afraid I'd have to go find Prince Charming...not that I couldn't do with one myself."

She shut down the files on past rangers and their enemies. "So how are you Cam?"

"Fine" Cam croaked. "But I feel like someone steamrolled me..."

"Hunt" Hunter said. "He tried to kill us both. He's the Black Ranger"

"Yay team evil, another one to add to our wall of people who want us dead" Cam said dryly.

"But he destroyed the sharky thing then turned around and did his best to kill us" Hunter said. "I have a major headache trying to figure it out."

"I think the Astral Morphers are playing a part in this, they're related to the mental aspects of a warrior as much as the physical. We need to review that before we can investigate this Hunt guy and everything else..."

"I have to meet Christian with the book" Cam said.

"I'll ask Dustin to do that," Hunter said. "I'll go with him...you need to rest up."

"Hunter" Cam said as the crimson ranger went to leave. "Thanks...you took that power bolt for me...why?"

"Because, you stood a chance of getting Lothor..." Hunter said after a moment, not wanting to look Cam in the eyes.

Cassidy cleared her throat, a knowing look in her eyes and slightly amused smile. "If you boys'll excuse me I have to give Cam a physical. So...strip Wantanabe" he blinked in surprise as Cassidy spoke. Hunter blushed as he left the medical bay seconds before the unintelligible argument broke out followed by Cassidy letting a Xena like cry and there being the sound of thumping and the ripping of cloth.

Cassidy let the scanners run up and down Cam who was standing perfectly still and naked in the round space with a lit floor and a set of metal rings going up and down scanning his body. "Okay this'll take a while..." Cassidy said. "Your father's gone to keep an eye on the computers. Cyber Cam will keep an eye on him so he doesn't crash the system."

"He may be a ninja master...but computer wizard he is not," agreed Cam nervously.

There was stiff silence as the smiles faded. Cam took in a breath. "So Cassidy...how, exactly, did you become the guardian of the book?" Cassidy looked up.

Cassidy waited a few seconds before answering. "It was passed on to me after I was trained for it all my life" she pressed another button.

"So...where did you live?"

"Around" shrugged Cassidy. "I-I moved to Blue Bay Harbour 4 years ago. When I was eight I was told all about the Mara-Ishii. Before that I lived everywhere. From Abyssinia to Zaire...okay same continent, bad example but the idea remains intact. We kept on the move. We were chased...and then we reached Blue Bay Harbour and the academy activity discouraged attacks."

"So...have you any family?"

Cassidy turned away. "Talkative aren't you?"

"We've let you in, you should return the favour" Cam said.

"The last people I let in hurt me" she replied. "I amn't quick to trust"

"You gave me the book because you trusted me"

"I gave you the book because I was desperate and felt I should. I didn't realize until later you were rangers" she said as she read over a green file. "You haven't taken the thunders' medical profiles"

"Haven't had the time" Cam said. "That and the fact Tori would be only too happy to strip Blake of all clothing---and decency" he smiled faintly.

"What about Hunter? Who has a crush on him?" Cassidy asked, waiting to see his actions and expressions. She got what she wanted, he blinked unsteadily and his face changed colour from pale to deepened blush.

"Uh...no one I guess"

Cassidy smiled. "My point exactly. When you all sort yourselves out. Come and see me about my troubles and pasts..." she tapped a key and issued some commands.

"I like him" Cam said. "He's a good person"

"Is that all?" Cassidy asked with a raised eyebrow. "Or—do you have something else you'd like to share?" Cam looked at her.

"You're not sharing neither am I" he said stiffly.

Cassidy closed her eyes and took in a breath then released it. "My full name is Cassidy Mildred Chase. I was born on Halloween. I absolutely love double chocolate mint twist hot cocoa with whipped cream and chocolate chips on it, my favourite book is Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry and I watched my parents, grandfather and uncles cut down by true monsters and had to stay trapped with the bodies for 56 hours and 23 minutes trapped in a cavern before my grandmothers pulled me out and made me run from danger ever since."

Cam looked at her, the tortured eyes were so dark and she seemed to be waiting...

"You were trapped with the bodies?"

"Don't worry, it gave me the strength to go on living," she said.

"I lost my mother to illness...I never really knew her"

With a smile Cassidy examined a print out. "Don't think I'm going to be a bleeding heart, I've been a bitch too long to go back now." She looked at him. "So tell me about you and Hunter?"

Cam looked up at the blue lights above him. "You're right. I'm gay and I think I might want Hunter...but...I don't want to complicate things with someone I consider a friend" he mumbled.

"A-ha" Cassidy said as she nodded slowly. "Love or Lust? Personally I have yet to see true love...but you've been googly eyed over the boy for a while from what I can tell. When did you first fall for him?"

Cam looked her dead in the eye. "It was when a monster called Madtropolis attacked... the rangers were drained. I had to go back to get the amulet from my mother. And when I was going back in time I had a thought, I was thinking about saving Hunter and I realized how nice he was when he wasn't brooding and that he'd treated me like an equal more often then not and...just...I like him."

Cassidy sighed. "Sound heavenly...sadly I'm a frigid frozen wasteland bitch" she grinned in a slightly shark-like way. "It's bad for relationships but lots of fun." The computer beeped and the two rings stopped at waist level, covering Cam's less displayable regions. "Done, your brain's fine no telepathic tampering, your lungs aren't hurt and your blood flow's normal."

Cam nodded, standing still, waiting for her to hand him some sort of covering.

"Hey I forgot the-" Hunter appeared at the door and made a funny noise in the back of his throat. "Book—Mara---Ish-ishii—forgot it" he averted his eyes and made his way slightly clumsily out of the room.

Cassidy flashed a grin. "Heh" she said. "Now he really is the Crimson Ranger"

She handed a black and green towel to Cam and he wrapped it around his waist quickly. "I HAVE FOUND THE BOOK I AM LEAVING NOW" Hunter called from down the hall...he shot past the doors with the book in his arm and headed for the waterfall portal.

"Well, just as well I don't need to put any fibre-optic camera's up certain regions" Cassidy said. "Or your fantasy might have been pretty damn close to a reality."

Cam frowned and smiled at the same time. He knew one thing; Cassidy was going to make things interesting....

TBC

Okay I thought I'd show where the votes stand (I actually got 4 votes from outside the review box from a group called THE WITCHY QUARTET who watch Ninja Storm because they're in love with Hunter, Dustin, Cam, Blake and Shane—so basically all the guy rangers... and also thanks to GLT who gave me an e-mail on his dream pairings)

Tori/ Blake: (8)!! That's right a whopping 8! Now worries here! Even GLT voted for it!

Dustin/Marah: (1) Ouch...I'll put someone in for poor Marah

Hunter/Cam (5) Gee didn't see that coming...eheh

Hunter/Dustin (3): Yeah popular...maybe they could have (Irish) coffee and make out

Cam/Dustin (1) Mnyeh not so hot

Cam/Shane (0): Zippo

Shane/ Kapri: (2) Look like a done deal

Shane/Hunter (0): Wow...empty

Shane/Dustin (0): And this seemed so popular

Dustin/ Hunt: (2) I knew that slash-y thought would burgeon ideas

Cam/Christian (0): So Cam isn't one for the sweet innocent –ahem- apparently virgin kind?

Cassidy/ Cam: (0) well she is a bit of a frosty chilblained bitch and not a big character **yet**

Astral Ranger/ Cassidy (1) Why? Because they've never actually met—that we know of--

Astral Ranger/ Hunter (1) where did this come from? No way because I have my reasons

Astral Ranger/Cam (1): Well...only one

Astral Ranger /Dustin (5): The quartet all voted for this because I let them in on the secret


	12. Deception Revelation

TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY 12

Okay just for the record, I'm offended. What kind of idiot do people take me for? Darks Familiar put several votes up on different chapters, apparently he got the idea from someone else...I'm very unhappy. I am so unhappy that I will make it clear: You try and cheat (couples in reviews of the most recent chapter only don't try voting under different names in different chapters!) and I see to it that the couple never come together and no longer have any interest in one another...

So here it goes. I decided the next review I got would determine the couples. Congrats to the winner who's review got their couplings: Nikytti!!!!!!!!

Dustin/Hunt, Tori/Blake, Cam/Hunter and Shane/Kapri but don't fear all you Dustin/Marah fans out there I've got something planned for you! It's kinda obvious near the end what it is but it's only about 80 words on it so...take a guess what I'll be doing! It's corny but I felt I should appease you because it was close anyway that Dustin would be with Marah...

Okay? Okay! It had to be done; no one took that big an interest anyway

Basically: THE VOTING IS CLOSED BECAUSE IT WAS GETTING HECTIC AND BORING AND I FELT THAT THE STORY NEEDED MORE DIRECTION SO NIKYTTI GOT HER WAY! (Assuming it's a she because you can never be sure...)

Chapter 12: Desperation Revelation

Dustin and Hunter were waiting impatiently at the smoothies bar. It's where they always met Christian. Well Cam did.

"Sorry I'm late" Christian said. "Traffic." He brushed his blonde hair off his face a little. "Okay, so where's Cam?"

"Sick" Hunter said at the same time Dustin exclaimed "Work"

"He's – uhh—working with the---umm---sick" Hunter stammered. Christian shrugged and smiled as he opened the book.

Dustin slid off the stool. "You get started amigo," he said. "I'll go grab some sodas"

Hunter noted the beckoning look in Dustin's eyes. "Hey I'll help you man" he said as he followed. Christian rolled his eyes and opened the book to a page on a Binding Spell.

"Why do we need this guy? We have Cassidy" Dustin said.

"She refused" shrugged Hunter. "She said there was no way in hell she'd help us use the book until Matriarchus was destroyed or it was completely unavoidable."

"She's freaky"

"And frosty"

"Amen"

"Astral Morphers" Cyber Cam said as the two morphers appeared. "They have a yin or yang symbol in a ring, that is removed from around the neck and inserted on the arm mounted morpher which creates a connection to a small ring and starts the morphing sequence".

"I remember the morphers were separate...but somehow the first encounters on file the morphers were fused. Which is why the code used was Astrali Maxim. It was a hack to bypass the protocols..."

"A hack?" Senseii asked.

"Ninja Storm Ranger Form is the voice code for our schools morphers" Cam said. "But there's a reverse to that, an anti-code that creates a "curse" program, a virus that affects the suit and the wearer. It was put in to let usurpers believe they had the call to activate the morphers if they got past the other locks. In our case the morphing hurricane would throw the usurper far away and keep him or her trapped in a desolate location for as long as it took for the tracking beacon to be noticed."

"So his use of the incorrect call..."

"Probably destroyed him" shrugged Cassidy. "And this Hunt creep got his hands on it or...he could simply have been forced to un-fuse the morphers, choosing the yin side and some other guy picking the yang"

"So what does this mean?"

"Well the separate entities are in danger, we need to hurry up and save them" replied Cassidy.

Hunt rubbed his arm and entered the boarding house...he froze as he felt the glass under his boots crunch...the walls were spray-painted. "Hello?"

Zack appeared in a doorway. "Those brats from the corner..." he said. "Burst in. Mrs Greys a little shocked but no one got hurt..." With a snarl Hunt turned and stalked out the door. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"To take care of business!" roared Hunt.

Matriarchus teleported onto the cliff then onto a ledge and gave a hiss. "Where is it! How could the sword be gone so fast! ?" She snarled. She teleported away again.

Shane felt Kapri staring at his backside...it was unnerving and kind of...endearing? She was baring up pretty well under the conditions. Ninja Jumping was too dangerous to do on the cliff. He wasn't an earth ninja, he might be able to make the jump but he'd most likely miss his footing and fall.

He reached the top and helped Kapri up. "Okay you're an evil space ninja...which way to the uber-magic sword?" Kapri looked at him and closed her eyes. She put her palm out facing upwards and placed her other hand out vertically on top of it. "That way" she said and pointed straight ahead...the trees were all curved to form a dark portal into the shadow woods of twisted arboreal shapes.

Hunt slammed a fist into the joint of the elbow and spun swiftly backhanding the thug across the warehouse floor. He battered down another and then closed on the leader. "You really shouldn't have done what you did," he said quietly. The leader stabbed at him, Hunt grabbed the wrist twisted the knife and plunged it back into the leaders stomach before snapping his neck with a drop kick.

He looked at the men all around, groaning in pain, and then strode out of the warehouse. "Amateurs" he sneered coldly.

Shane and Kapri walked down the corridor of trees. "This place is sooooo creepy," said Kapri. Shane rolled his eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me red-boy"

The branch slapped Shane in the face and knocked him flying into a bed of roots. They snared him and pulled him down. Kapri slashed with her sword but a vine wrapped around her waist and arms and held her in the air.

"Great job red-boy!" Kapri snapped. "Now what?" Shane didn't say anything he simply closed his eyes and focused. The hurricane was a small one but it hit the tree that held Kapri, splintering a hole through it and dropping Kapri a few feet to the ground. "That hurt!"

"Hurry- Up" croaked Shane as a vine closed around his throat. The sword slash slit the root away and with glowing slashes Kapri dispatched them. "Man where's Garden Force when you need them?" He leapt high into the air over the vines. There was a shrieking noise and three shapes launched out of the bushes at them. Rabbits! WITH FANGS?

"Oh they're so..." Kapri noted the teeth. "Carnivorous!" she squealed. She fired two bolts at one of the huge rabbits and it disappeared. Shane morphed using his blaster to dispatch the demons a rabbit leapt at the back of his head. Kapri's sword destroyed it with a lightening spark.

"I owe you one"

"Yeah whatever" muttered Kapri. "Come on" as he demorphed and ran she took a quick scan of his leather-clad backside. "Gluts Galore" she murmured and hurried after him.

Standing in the trees Kapri-D watched, her eyes flickered black and she disappeared.

Tori grimaced as Jason flipped Blake again. Blake was good but so far Jason and Kimberly had easily bested him. Tori had found Trini and Adam were no pushovers and Cam and Rocky were trying to make some sort of point with the furious aikido flips and grapples.

Rocky's back had made quite the recovery.

"You're leaving the guard on your left too open" Kim said as Jason helped Blake up. "Then again Jason's been doing martial arts far longer then you so catching onto his weaknesses is a little harder"

"What weaknesses?" Jason smiled. Kim moved fast, grabbing his arm, spinning under it and kicking his ankles from under him as her other hand slapped him in the back of the head.

"You forget your balance a lot," she said. She smiled. "Tai-Chi-Quan" she added.

"Uh...yeah" grimaced Jason as he sat up.

"Well we have to go" Blake said glancing at his watch. "Thanks for the tips" he added.

"Welcome" Trini said as she and Adam sparred, her Mantis-style was pretty potent and Adam fell backwards onto Rocky who toppled onto Cam ending with a three-man pile up. "Graceful Adam" she said.

He stuck his tongue out at her.

Tori and Blake walked down the path. It was late at night, nearly midnight and that meant parental problems. "I'll see you tomorrow" Tori said. She kissed Blake and turned to walk away.

"Hey Tori" Blake said. "I- uh – I like you a lot..." he said. DAMN NO! "And uh maybe we can go to that um- school dance in um- a few months?" Tori was a little confused.

"Definitely" she said.

As soon as she was back in her house and he had walked on to a tree that obscured him he slapped himself in the head. "You abject idiot" he muttered. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!"

Hunter couldn't sleep, every time he tried to the hands came back, grabbing at him and holding him down... he wanted to avoid that dark place where he was helpless. He hated being helpless.

Hunter found himself in the park. It was a public park that never closed. He liked this place, when he was small he remembered a foster family taking him here on his birthday. It was a good place. It had been before Blake...he'd always felt he needed a brother, someone to protect.

"Hey" Hunter turned around. Swaying on the swings was Christian. His blonde hair was tussled and he was looking sad.

"Christian" Hunter said. He'd felt someone else there... "What are you--?"

"Don't ask what you won't answer yourself" Christian smiled faintly. "I couldn't sleep," he admitted at last.

"Ditto" Hunter sat down on the swing beside Christian. "I like this place..."

"I do to...I think I should remember it" admitted Christian. "But I have really tragic memory...as in I can't remember much from a few weeks ago" he shrugged. "Apparently I'm blotting painful memories out."

"I do it to" Hunter said. "Stuff happened...painful things in my past and..." he felt he could be honest with Christian. "I amn't a good fighter...I gave up fighting too easy when I was young and - "

"You don't give up now, do you?" Christian asked.

"I – I can't"

"You have to get stronger, you aren't born invincible" said Christian. "You're a good person Hunter I can feel it. You have to remember you do need others and that sometimes it's your friends who give you strength."

"Yeah..." Hunter murmured. The dirty feeling was still under his skin... "Let's change the subject," he said.

"Okay" Christian smiled as he started to swing. "I like pizza"

"Bacon and Cheese with lots of sauce and -"

"Tuna, Mushrooms and sweet corn" added Christian.

"And they said I was the only one" laughed Hunter.

Christian smiled. Hunter felt something in the boy's eyes... a kinship.

"Yeah now ice cream" Hunter continued

"Double chocolate chip mint and chocolate flakes!" exclaimed Christian.

"I like the colour green in it" grinned Hunter

"I get that" nodded Christian. "Me too"

Kim looked at the preying mantis on Trini's right arm. The same place as everyone else's. The tattoos had appeared as if by magic. Possibly actually by magic... but they were used to it.

"My Mom is so gonna kill me" Rocky murmured.

Greta Clarke was terrified they'd technically forgotten about her, the strange pot-headed men came and went but neither of the big monsters had spoken to her. Evidently her ransom was being difficult.

Her son was the red ranger. She shook her head...it made sense...maybe she would have actually noticed on her own if she'd been home more often. His behaviour changed so often when monsters were around, he was always running off whenever there was a monster attack and it all made sense.

"Having a nice repast?" a voice called mockingly. Greta looked at the bowl of rice near her feet and looked down at herself. Greta-D laughed.

"Not hungry"

"Eat, you're a surviving mother" Greta-D said. "We wouldn't want you to die...yet"

Greta glared at the woman with her face. "Tell me, are you really that ugly that you need my face?" the shape shifter morphed into a hideous beast of tentacles.

"Trust me there's uglier things out there" it gargled then retracted into the shape of Frax the cyborg. "But let's not let that drag us down you've only got a few hours to live, tops! So let me tell you something...all power rangers are hypocrites. They cut down my parents right before my eyes and for that I'll make them pay. Them and their little Samurai too...you'll get a few minutes to say bye-bye to sonny boy then I'll fry him to a crisp!"

"My son's going to turn you into boot polish you uppity little witch" Greta said firmly.

"Not a motherly thing to say" sang Frax-D. "No matter... you'll be losing your tongue soon enough"

"Your hate is a vicious infinity, it will devour you if you don't let go"

"I'll let go...when they are dead," replied Frax-D vanishing from the cavern to let Greta feel alone again.

Dustin polished the bike and then gave it a final tweak. Confident it was perfect he turned around to go help open the shop. Marah grabbed his ear and pulled him into a supply cupboard.

He was about to shout when she clapped a hand over his mouth. "Ssssshhhhh it's okay!" she said. "I'm not here to kill you! I came to help!"

"Mmmfmmff fmf MMMMM"

"Eh - right" Marah moved her hand away and smiled. "Listen I'll make this quick... My uncle hit the Astral Academy after the Thunders. He used three alien generals up there but he knew a deep dark secret about the Sensei there and used it somehow to turn the geezers students against him. In the end he captured the students easily...but one fought back and used the morphers. Uncle kept him used his psychic visions to foresee stuff about you guys. The cutie tried to escape and nearly made it one day... Uncle decided he needed to be more pro-active and brain zapped the boy to fight you."

"This I kind of guessed...except for the vision stuff coz – I didn't know he could do that"

"Well yeah he kinda can" Marah said. "Anyway, when you guys fought him something happened with the Sensei Mind Mojo and he totally flipped and the mind control went haywire uncle said something about too many unseen Generals – Vegetables – Tentacles – Variables! Yeah!" she snapped her fingers. "Anyway, he only went gaga because of all the stuff in his mind. Now Uncle can't track him because all Astral Ninjas have warping grey matter and Matriarchus is sure the Astral Ninja could find the sword. I mean she's a good trainer but kinda dumb because the Astral Ninja has no interest in helping us again!"

"Yeah...Guess so"

Marah looked around. "I have to go, Uncle will notice I'm missing soon just – watch yourself he's a fruit basket now" she vanished in a crackle of thunder.

"That'd happen," said Cam. "The hack code and the mind control..."

"With the power of the combined morphers" continued Cassidy.

"Brain flux and insanity" finished Cam. "The Astral Ninja would get some sort of Amnesia and eventually loss of control over his powers. But that doesn't help us finding the two new people with the morphers"

"Well" Dustin said. He stood in the middle of Ninja Ops as Cam and Cassidy worked at a terminal with tools that looked like they belonged on the set of Star Trek. "Maybe the book can - "

"The book can't do everything, the book is limited, the book is not the answer sheet" Cassidy said as she tweaked something.

"Speaking of the book" Cam said as he slid out from under the console. "I have to meet up with Christian to do more work on it"

"I still say the Keeper should help" Dustin said.

"Well this Keeper is just a librarian, you've checked the book out, I'm not responsible for it unless you bring it back with dog ears" Cassidy said. "At which point I will no longer be responsible for my actions"

Dustin shuddered and nodded nervously.

Matriarchus looked at the dated schematics. "Astronema was good," she said. "These DNA plans were...advanced for their time. But I need to improve on them" she said. Lothar raised an eyebrow. "So...pick a colour"

"In honour of my old alpha-Matter I'll go with Yellow" Lothar declared.

"Yellow it is... a nice neutral colour" smiled Matriarchus. "Just not very evil"

"I was a yellow Wind Academy student"

"But you're not anymore"

"Good point"

Christian examined the book properly. Up until now he'd only been brought photocopies they'd called the book. He was surprised that they'd allowed him to finally see it up close. "I finally get to see it"

"We trust you" Hunter said. Cam was standing rigidly with Hunter at his shoulder.

"Careful" Christian said sadly. "I amn't sure if I trust myself"

Cam shook his head. "So what are we working on today?" Christian leafed through the pages of the book as Cam asked. He settled on a page.

"The spell to separate the good of a person from the evil" Christian said. "Sounds... useful" He took out a pencil and a notepad. They were in an outdoor café by the beach, though the sky looked a little grey and enjoying it for much longer was doubtful.

"There's a warning on it" read Christian. "But the spell says that it will separate the two parts of the person who reads it aloud into their corporeal forms..."

The flash was blazing. Zurgane and the Kelzacks stood before them. "That book looks overdue," he said. Christian stared. Cam and Hunter looked at one another; Cam had designed a cloaking device for sensors tracing the book.

"I told you it was here," a voice said. Squatt-D materialized. "Now let's get a move on my mentor's a cranky old hag half the time".

"Christian Run" Cam said. Christian nodded...he moved swiftly and kicked a chair at Zurgane knocking the alien over and giving him time to vault over the railings of the café and dart down the street with the book.

"Go catch up" Cam said as the people around them rushed off in fear. "I'll try holding them off so you can hide Christian and jump back to Ninja Ops"

"No way" Hunter said. "I won't leave you"

Cam stared at him. "Do it"

"Okay I will" Squatt-D said as he hurled a power blast at the rangers knocking them flying. They leapt to their feet and engaged the Kelzacks. Squatt-D spotted Christian and in a blur of speed caught up with him. "Going somewhere?"

Christian wrinkled his nose. "Wow...you're ugly, I'll bet not many people like you" before Squatt-D could retort or act Christian flip kicked him into a wall and landed smoothly. He disarmed two Kelzacks and turned the dropped blades against them. Hunter and Cam stared as he back flipped down an alley then they followed him as she tossed the book into the air, slashed the Kelzacks as they looked up, caught the book and spin-kicked Squatt-D aside.

"I'll handle this" Zurgane exclaimed as he charged.

"Fine, do" Squatt-D muttered as he vanished.

Christian dodged the slashes of Zurgane's blade and grabbed the alien's arm flipping him over. "Bad tin can, try to get it right next time" smirked Christian. He ran up a wall, flipped back over and stomped on Zurgane's body, smashing the monster down.

Cam backhanded a Kelzack as Hunter kicked another down the alley. Zurgane hit a garage door and slid down with a groan. Christian plucked the book from the air having thrown it up to double kick Zurgane.

The forces vanished and Cam and Hunter hurried forwards. "We heard you were good at fighting...but that was...out of this world..." Hunter gasped.

"No it wasn't it was Ninjitsu, you know that" said Christian. "So let's face the fact I'm a trained ninja" he turned away. Suddenly he vaulted forwards onto his hands and kicked Cam and Hunter backwards into an open garage space. A stack of boxes fell onto them.

"I like you both, you're the closest to friends I've ever had" Christian said. "But I won't let you stop –mmmme!" He gave a gasp of pain as his body glowed, his limbs twitching and twisting as they were taken over. He started to read the spell.

"Christian stop!"

Hunt laughed and turned around, the last of Christian's dark blonde hair fading to his dark colouring. He was finishing the spell. "He wants it this way," Hunt said. There was a flash of black and white lights, swirling into a cloud of pigments as two shapes stepped out in opposite directions. They were dressed the same but one was Hunt and the other Christian and when they stood together they had the very same face. Just different eyes and hair... different expressions.

"Holy -" breathed Hunter but was stuck for words.

TBC!

THE VOTING IS CLOSED! But you can voice opinions on what you'd like to happen next. I'll be continuing this story in another one that has a pending title. There are only 2 chapters more left. Maybe 3. Then I'll continue the saga with a new one. Arrivederci.


	13. Differences Divided

TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY 13

**Question: What is the definition of a Mary-Sue?**

**a) A character that is the writer BUT 100 times exaggerated**

**b) A flawless character who can do anything (ahem and everyone -0)**

**or**

**c) Any OC at all**

_And another question: Is it a Mary Sue if it's a villain? Just a conversation I've been having with a friend of mine. Anyway I'd like thoughts on Cassidy so I can stop her becoming a true Mary Sue (she really can't do everything she's really a total bitch but she has a pretty good heart deep, deep, deep, deep, deep down (maybe deeper) and her Romantic prospects aren't ACTUALLY all that great.)_

MINOR SLASH AHEAD and a bit of fluffy Tori/Blake AND METIONS OF R-A-P-E as a prelude to the darker fic that is this fics sequel.

THE FIC:

**Chapter 13: Divided Difference**

Hunt pivoted and kicked the support rod of the storage space's mesh door. It slid down trapping Cam and Hunter. Hunt looked at Christian who'd picked up the book and walked away. "Trust me, it's better this way" Hunt cackled. He darted off in the opposite direction.

Hunter hit the mesh in a rage. "Damn how did we let this happen?"

"We weren't to know" Cam said. "It makes sense…he is the one person who had the morphers, we were looking for 2 people! It was only 1 person all along!"

Cam grimaced. "We're getting out of here now!"

* * *

Dustin was surprised when another Rider joined him. The black and white bike bounded over the hill after him. He raced after it up the mountainside. The rider skidded to a halt at the top. Dustin stopped inches away.

Christian pulled off his helmet and swung off the bike. "Hey" he said with a shy smile. "How's it going?" Dustin removed his own helmet and did what he could with his hair.

"Hey dude" nodded Dustin. "Haven't seen you on the track before"

"Well I'm free to ride now" smiled Christian. He reached out and tucked Dustin's fringe out of his eyes. "Want to go for a ride?"

"Sure" Dustin said as he put on his helmet. There was something very strange about Christian right now. "But, uh, where?"

"Anywhere" laughed Christian. "It's a big world!"

* * *

Hunter blasted the door open. "I have to say, that was pretty weird" he said. "How can two people become one?"

"Ninja Magic - Cassidy" stated Cam. They jetted back to the Ninja Ops as fast as they could. Cassidy was working at a console with Cyber Cam.

"Listen you Prism Petting Pixel Pretty Boy," she snapped. "I don't care what you say but there is no WAY in hell we can use a 249 to replace the Alpha-53 piece. It's just not done!"

"Dudette I know this system, I like this system, I AM this system and I totally do not want to short circuit!" retorted the hologram

"Well in that case" Cassidy pressed a button and Cyber Cam's next few words were in fluent Spanish. "Better" she sighed.

"Cassidy?" Hunter and Cam rushed in. Cassidy turned and raised an eyebrow. "We have a problem" Hunter said.

"Hunt and Christian got the book…and then they became two people…and they were ninja's…he was…they…" Cam rubbed his head. "Hunt and Christian split into two different people because of a spell he read…"

The spanner in Cassidy's hands clashed to the ground. "Oh fruit-loops" she muttered and sat into a chair. "I know the spell. It's a real stinger. It can be used to split good and evil but only for a few short hours then they have to be put back together…or both sides burst into blue flames and rot in a painful agonizing hell for what remains of their lives."

"You're kidding" murmured Hunter.

"No. Go" Cassidy said. She looked over the console to Trini, Rocky and Adam who were trying to adjust a control box. "Okay a little to the left and we can talk about getting a lock on the sword."

"Yeesh does Hitler know you're stealing his bit?" snorted Rocky.

"I don't know does Naughty Boys On Camera know you've stolen their wardrobe?" Cassidy smirked. Adam went red and Trini turned pink…they both stifled laughs.

"Not funny" Rocky said in a singsong. Cassidy walked away…which is why she didn't see the trio have a mental blast. In the dojo Kim and Jason flinched as they saw the sword in the cave, the could tell exactly where it was…

"We have to go" Trini said distantly, hauling the two boys with her.

"Hey! Wait!" exclaimed Cassidy. But they were already gone. "Oh damn it" she muttered. "Right…well it's just me to fix the cable then" she muttered. She looked at Cyber Cam who was talking in Spanish. "I wonder if I can make you speak Pig latin" she mused.

* * *

The net came out of nowhere and before they knew it - - - Kapri and Shane were tied up in a cave on a wooden stake around which weird Chipmunk-things were setting firewood. "Alvin – Theodore – Simon" a voice said. The glowing purple eyes of a demon were in the darkness of the cave. Shane looked over Kapri's shoulder…the sword! NO! D came forwards, it's appearance shifting in a mass of shadow tendrils to become Dustin. "Such loyal things and so hideous…" cackled the monster. "Well here's the nice thing – they found the sword just after they caught you…and now it's mine."

"What about my mother! ?"

"Oh that's not up for conversation" Dustin-D sneered. "But we might send her back to you…in pieces. How will it feel? Painful. I know" spat the demon as Shane angrily struggled in his bonds. "Don't bother my pathetic little ranger… I will not rest until all rangers are destroyed and since those ropes are nice and tight…I'll start with you." D looked at Kapri. "Sorry Kap" he said. "But you have to stay tied until he dies…just the way the Chipmunks knotted the ropes, the fire won't touch you!"

"That's - comforting" murmured Kapri. Dustin-D reached for the sword against the wall…Jason leapt through the air, grabbed the blade and rolled away with it. Dustin-D roared in rage and fired a blast of energy after him. Kim cartwheeled and kicked the demon off balance. Trini planted three Mantis-Kicks on the demon and Rocky judo flipped it so Adam could land a flying shoulder drop to it.

"Ow" D muttered. Rocky, Adam and Kim dispatched the chipmunks as fast as they could. Trini and Jason untied Shane and Kapri.

"Your mothers still alive" Kapri whispered. "I'll try and tell her to stay hopeful – oh – and sorry".

"For what?" Kapri gave him a rather gentle energy zap. He fell backwards and she spun away from him. Dustin-D transformed into Onikage-D.

"You're so toast" D hissed.

"Don't count on it" Shane said. "NINJA STORM! RANGER FORM!" he transformed and attacked. His sword clashed off the long black blade of D's. The sparks and lighetning flew…and then D blasted him with an under-arm lightening bolt.

"No fair!" The ex-Rangers attacked D as it prepared a killing blast. Kicks and punches from all around dragged Onikage-D down. It rose with a roar and blasted a wave of black lightening out knocking them flying.

"Ex-rangers are about to be past tense in EVERY way" spat the demon. A Falcon Blast knocked Onikage-D down into the very end of the cavern.

"Let's go" Shane said.

"We brought Cam's teleporter," explained Trini as she tapped the controls. Rocky Reached over, slapped the machine and a shimmering gateway opened. "Come on!" they darted in and vanished. Kapri leaned on the cave entrance and smiled…then the angry roar of Onikage-D rang out, shaking the cavern and a landslide loose.

* * *

"Dustin?" Dustin stepped away from Christian who was eating a hot dog. He touched the button on his com-link.

"yeah Cam?"

"Listen to cut a long story short Hunt and Christian were the same person, they've split apart and we have to get them back together before they die…"

"What?" Dustin interrupted.

"The Mara-Ishii" summed up Hunter.

"Oh. Freaky Shadow Mojo" nodded Dustin like he'd discovered gravity.

"You have to get Christian and Hunt back to Ninja Ops ASAP" Cam said. "If you see them…" Dustin turned slowly.

"I'm with Christian at the race track. How tough can he really be…I'm a ranger"

"No Dust--" Hunter was cut off as Dustin walked forwards and put his hand on Christian's shoulder. Christian looked up at him, finished his hotdog and rose. He looked into Dustin's eyes. And in a blur of ninja speed he was gone.

"Whoa" whispered Dustin. He looked around, satisfied no one could see him as he drifted over towards the bushes…and sped off after Christian. Christian was much faster then Dustin, his speed was different, he was pushing himself more then Dustin had to and couldn't jump like Dustin could…no instead he phased right through a large oak tree and wired through the brush.

Dustin grabbed a stick and hurled it. It was a thick piece of wood and when it hit Christian between the ankles it tripped him. He rolled along the ground and ended up in a crouch.

"You have to come back with me"

"No" Christian said quietly. Dustin launched a punch at him…in a Tai-Chi Chuan move Christian flipped him over. "Yellow rangers are often lighter in spirit then the others…but they're also easier to dazzle with superficial things…the earth is your element… thought is mine. We're aeons apart."

"What are you on?"

"I amn't sure…the trauma of what was doen to me…it's all getting up, and attacking, again" Christian flung him and his next kick aside and the punch after and the chop after that. "I can't stop the dark hands in the shadows touching me…tearing and scratching and hurting…" he raised a hand, the inex and ring fingers raised, the other two bent and his thumb out. "Don't make me hurt you Dustin. I don't want to but if I have to I will…"

Dustin advanmced…the pain rushed through his body like someone had his – eh – family jewels – in a vice grip. He crashed down and the pain subsided. He fought his way up and took another step. The pain was in his mouth like someone was biting his face and digging their nails into him. He fell again but he managed to rise, he was near Christian who was sobbing begging him to stop.

"Don't these are memories…the next one will destroy you" Whispered Christian. "Leave me alone and I won't do it…" and that was when Marah stunned the crying boy with a karate chop to the back of the neck.

"Are you okay?" she whispered, kneeling beside the fallen boy.

"Ice" groaned Dustin as she helped him up.

* * *

Tori and Blake walked down the street holding hands. It was strange now that her mother's "blessings" had been issued Tori felt like their relationship was even stronger. They stopped on the boardwalk to look out at the beach.

"You know…I love you" Blake said.

Tori looked up at him and smiled. "I love you too," she said and he leaned in to kiss her…and the morpher beep went off. "What timing" she groaned. "Yeah what is it?"

"We've got a problem," Cam said. "Hunt and Christian were the same person and the magic spells of the Mara-Ishii have split them into two people and we have to bring them back together before they both die."

"Come again" Blake said.

"Magic spells have split a split personality and Hunt and Christian will die if we don't get them back to Ninja Ops" Hunter said. "Keep your eyes open for Hunt, Dustin and Marah captured Chritsian"

"MARAH!" exclaimed Tori. Then lowered her voice after the strange looks. "Marah?"

"He didn't slur his words" Cam said. "She took Christian out with a karate chop"

"Any port in a storm" Blake muttered with a shrug.

"Hunt" Tori said. The guy was eating ice cream (in a very innuendo-filled manner) on the boardwalk. "Come on."

They approached. Hunt noticed them and smirked as he finished his snack. "Hey pretty girl" he smirked. "Let me guess what you're here for"

"Don't flatter yourself"

"You're not here to try and capture me? Oh well" he vaulted backwards out of the bench he was in and landed in a crouch on the sand below. He disappeared in a blur that was too fast to be noticed.

"Well that proves he's the Astral Ninja" muttered Blake. They darted down the street to a secluded alley and bounded after him, their ninja jumps closing the distance… until he ran through the wall of a cave.

"How did he do that?" Tori murmured.

"There's the entrance," Blake said.

They leapt in. The sand swirled around their feet into a sucking vortex. "Watch your step" laughed Hunt from his seat on a rock ledge as he made a circling motion with his right hand. "Ground may be a bit shifty!"

"How about a drink?" Tori said as she gestured. A rock pool erupted in a geyser and blasted Hunt off balance letting the two ninja's leap onto a rock. Hunt rose again and sneered. "Let's not have to beat you up"

"That's a laugh" he leapt at them in a spinning tornado of moves. Tori nimbly avoided them and instead he shattered a stalactite. He spun…and Blake kicked him in the head so Tori could swing her body low and planted a kick in the side of his neck before they finished him off with a tag team move.

Tori leapt into the air and Blake gave her an additional boost with his hands as she came down. She flipped her body over and crashed her legs down on Hunt. He flew backwards and hit a wall. The cave shook as red light glowed around him…then he fell unconscious.

"If he'd really used his telekinesis that mightn't have been so easy" Blake said as they grabbed an arm each.

* * *

"We have the Astral Ninja, the sword and cable TV" Dustin grinned. "What more do we need?" Even if the injuries Chirstian had inflicted had been mental he was still holding an icepack to his face and – eh – groin.

"Thank you" Sensei said to the ex-rangers. "Your spirits are still as strong as ever I see. I am sure Zordon would be very proud of you all."

"Thanks" smiled Kim. "We should probably get out of your hair soon. It's just been really nice to be able to help the group"

"hey any jobs going?" grinned Rocky. "Coz I wanna hang around Blue Bay to try that totally cool Motocross track"

"Dude" Dustin said. As they high five-d

"I know" Rocky grinned.

"It's a meeting of the flakes" smiled Tori.

"Rocky has a kindred spirit…that's a surprise we were sure there was no human like him out there" grinned Adam.

"Okay matter at hand everyone" Cassidy said. "I can undo the spell as part of the Clean Up The Mess deal I have. I only use the book if it's to clean up other peoples wrongdoings with it this does not mean I'll be translating or casting anything in it for you. Capice?" Everyone nodded.

Spell "What was one now becomes two. To themselves they must be true. Tie the knot and bind the ties…"

Christian and Hunt woke up and stared at each other…then attacked Cassidy stumbled back as the book was knocked away.

Hunt hit Christian and shouted because he had the identical signs of future bruising on his cheek. Christian backhanded him and grimaced in pain. Trini reached over as they pounded each other…and pressed down on nerve endings. Both boys collapsed and Cassidy muttered "Men" under her breath as she picked up the book.

Spell "What was one now becomes two. To themselves they must be true. Tie the knot and bind the ties. Spirits fly across the skies. Elder's souls now arise. Join the torn soul that cries. One becomes two as it should be. Cleanse the aura and balance the Chi" Spell

Christan and Hunt glowed black and white. Christian's white aura reached out and grabbed the black of Hunt's and they slid back together. There was a flash and a single boy fell to the ground. He was a lot like Christian and Hunt he was them except there was a different kind of familiarity about his face. His hair was a mix of blonde and brown and his lean body was covered in wounds.

"What happened?" asked Kim as they crowded around the boy who was losing a lot of blood.

"The curse of the morphers must have healed old wounds. This happened to him before her ever used the morpher" Cassidy said.

"These are Kelzack slashes" Cam said. "He's lost a lot of blood we don't have the facilities here…he needs a real hospital."

"Then take him" Sensei said. "You can make excuses"

"We're risking exposure" Blake said. "Are you sure we can't treat him?"

"Very" Cam said as Hunter lifted the wounded boy up. Hunter was so strong…NO! This was not the time or the place! He had to prioritise…and not watch Hunters ass move away…WHY WAS HE ACTING LIKE THIS

Cassidy followed his gaze, the others were with Hunter and she was the only one who'd noticed him noticing the PVC clad posterior. "Good taste" she whispered. "You should definitely ask him out…"

"Oh yeah I can see that: Hey Hunter want to go out for coffee? A movie? A walk? Making out before where I give you a hickey? Pass the spanner would you? Not going to happen," he whispered

Cassidy rolled her eyes. "You never know. What's the point of living if you cannot feel alive?" she muttered. "Just…don't let life pass you by it's only when you're together that you have all the time in the world."

She turned away and Cam hurried after the others.

* * *

"Matriarchus" Lothar growled. The alien shifted uneasily. "Why don't I have the sword?" she glanced at Rito-D

"The Demon failed to-"

"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH EXCUSES" Lothar roared. "Make the red ranger hand over the sword or I'll turn you into a cocktail Weenie!" he raised his hand and a laser bolt appeared in it.

"Well…since you put it that way…" Matriarchus disappeared.

"Someone Get me a mocha latte!" he shouted.

Rito-D pursed it's lips (not that the skeleton form had any) and turned away as it walked towards the scanner display.

* * *

"So this is Christian Hunt's family and friends?" the doctor said. The rangers looked up. "Or are you his brother?" he asked looking at Hunter.

"No we're just …his friends" Cam said.

"Ah…well sorry I was just looking for a relative"

"He's an orphan" Hunter said.

"Oh I assumed one of you would be a relative. Well perhaps you could point me to guardians of some sort?" they shook their heads. "Well your friend has lost a lot of blood and it's unfortunately a rare type…which we have a severe shortage of…actually we don't have a lot…if…any" he murmured sheepishly. "People haven't been donating lately"

The doctor showed them the details on the blood bank. "We're fresh out of his type now, we've had a few people in who needed it and our resources are exhausted. They can't even spare some in the other hospitals."

"That's my blood type" Hunter said. "I'll donate"

"Well that's a bit of dumb look" the doctor sighed. "Nurse!" the brute of a woman sauntered over. "Prepare him to donate for the Hunt boy."

"Ah pretty boy Blondie is doing something useful," the Nurse said. "Zat sweet boy needs some help vit the rare blood and the blood anomaly and ze hurt. Come on." She led Hunter away. Cam watched him leave…the idea of needles sticking into him was…unnerving but it was so lucky Christian would get the blood he needed.

The doctor left and Tori took Blake's hand. "I can't believe Hunt and Christian were the same person…they were totally different" Tori said.

"That's usually the case with schizophrenia" Cam said distantly. "He obviously had mental problems I bet the trap in the morphers accelerated it…" Dustin nodded.

"He totally whacked me with pain" he added. "But he didn't want to and Hunt…well he did that kiss of death thing on Cam and he, like, enjoyed hurting people."

"Weirdo" nodded Shane.

"I don't see why his body got so beat up though" Blake said.

"Probably in Lothar's attack on his school then the morpher virus healed him until it was broken, a trap or something I'd imagine" Cam said. "Cassidy called the boarding house, they thought Christian and Hunt were brothers who roomed together."

"What did the nurse mean by blood monopoly?" Dustin asked.

"She said anomaly man" Shane corrected. "no clue. Hey! Doc!"

Doctor Stevens walked over. "Yes?"

"What blood anomaly did the nurse mean?"

"Oh well I can't discuss that" the doctor said. "But I can tell you that it's a just a small twitch in his blood that means he's got a few odd things in it…" he stopped and gained a dull look in his face.

"Tell us" Cam said. "A trick Dad taught me" he added off the stares of his friends.

"The boy has the Anabranch Blood Anomaly" the doctor droned. "It showed up when we tested for HIV and AIDS and other STD's. It is nothing serious it is an anomaly that means his blood will reject blood substitutes…"

"Why did they scan him for STD's?" Dustin asked.

"The rape scars" replied the doctor. "They happened a while ago but frequently during the period of time they were made. He was negative…" Cam flinched and his concentration broke there. "What was I saying?" murmured the doctor.

"Nothing just that you're…hopeful about Christian's health" Tori said distantly.

"Oh…right…I am" he nodded and wandered off.

"Oh God" Tori whispered. "Poor Christian…"

"That would screw anyone up," Blake muttered. "Damn whatever sickos do that sort of stuff. They should all be killed," he murmured.

Shane rose and went to the vending machines. He needed to clear his head…so the reason Christian was screwed up was not down to Morpher Power but to the fact there were some sick human's out there… his mother told him that sometimes life was cruel but that was beyond cruel.

"Missing Mommy?" a voice sneered. Shane turned and looked at the nurse. Her eyes glowed and for a second Matriarchus' face flashed over her own. "Listen Red boy, we'll make the trade. The sword for your mother, at the old Rock Quarry on the edge of the forest! Be there in an hour or she dies!"

The nurse disappeared before Shane could speak. He hurried back to his friends.

* * *

Hunter grumbled, they were testing his blood to see if he could donate. He really hated needles but if it could save someone's life then he'd grin and bear it. "Doctor look at this" the Nurse said.

Dr. Stevens looked over her shoulder then looked at Hunter. "The chances of it being a coincidence… he's clean for the STD's?"

"Yes Doctor" the Nurse said. "And these are fresh off the printer results…"

"Best double check" the doctor said.

"What is it?"

"Oh Nothing" the doctor said. "Ready to give, give, give?"

* * *

"Here it is" Adam said as he handed them the package. They were in the hospital lobby. "Just be careful, if this doesn't go to plan you'd better have a back up. This was only a preliminary and this sudden push from the forces of Evil is a pretty big deal. They might be getting desperate".

"They are" Shane said. "And I have to save my mother."

"Then good luck" Rocky said. He was standing behind Adam grinning at a Nurse. "And another thing" he added. "Don't forget to blast them really well in case they come back kicking."

"Noted and double noted" Dustin grinned.

"Hunter's gotten the message" Blake added. "But he couldn't talk because the doctor was in the room. I left a "voicemail" telling him not to come until his blood sugar and all that stuff was at an okay level."

"Then let's go" Shane said. They crept into a secluded alcove of the hospital.

**NINJA STORM! THUNDER STORM**

**RANGER FORM! HA!**

Cam morphed to Samurai form and they leapt away.

Matriarchus was in the quarry, Greta was held in chains that were linked to one of her bracelets. Shane landed and held out the sword. "Glad you could make it" she said. "Now hand over the sword"

"Release my mother first!" he exclaimed.

"Don't hold your breath, sword!" barked Matriarchus.

Shane tossed the wrapped up sword to the ground before the alien. Matriarchus reached for it and smirked. "Thanks red ranger" she laughed. She pulled a dagger with similar design to the Kitana. "And now you will fall!" the dagger glowed. Matriarchus didn't notice anything as the smoke curled around her, not even Kapri grabbing Greta's arm and teleporting them out of danger.

In the Ninja Ops the real sword glowed and rose from its stand. "What the hell!" Jason exclaimed.

In the hospital Hunter sneaked out of the room and past the Nurse. He hurried to the quarry near the woods as fast as he could.

Lothar laughed and teleported down with his army.

The sky turned red as clouds swirled above head, the daggers light piercing them. The ex-rangers opened a teleportion gateway to follow the sword to where they knew it was going…the Quarry.

"What's happening?" Tori exclaimed as the rangers leapt from their hiding places.

"Something bad!" Dustin exclaimed.

"We can handle it" Hunter said.

"You should be resting after donating blood!" Cam roared.

"I had the cookie" Hunter shrugged.

Matriarchus watched the real sword fly through the air. "For trying to betray me YOU WILL ALL DIE FIRST!" she reached for the sword…it blasted her with blue fire. Lothar advanced and was blasted by lightening. Ice swept up his Kezlacks and froze them in sheaths of frost. The ex-rangers appeared as the black smoke snared the handle of the sword. Matriarchus-D laughed as it lifted the sword and slid the dagger into the hilt.

"Only those with power can ever use it" D said. "Poor pathetic Matriarchus…you may have taught me how to use evil magic…but I learned the MEANING all by myself!" the form of the Demon unravelled and turned into a black smoke moster with no particular shape and glowing purple eyes. "RAIN OR SHINE ALL IS MINE!"

The sword sliced Matriarchus in half. The world flickered a series of colours…and the alien witch demon exploded. "Let's leave the smoke thing to it everyone!" Lothar exclaimed as he picked himself up. "It's all yours rangers. Ta-Ra" he grinned and vanished.

"Coward" Shane said. "You should get to safety" he said to the ex-rangers

"No" Jason said. "We stay and fight and die if we have to"

"Die?" Rocky exclaimed. He relented when Adam looked at him. "You're right we're rangers we put the world first…" they readied themselves. The smoke around D cleared and thousands of monsters melded into one stood before them. Every master evil and general villain they'd ever heard of was Demon's new body.

"Prepare to shed the mortal coil RANGERS!" the blade sliced the air rapidly and sent a blast of energy at them. The explosion went off turning the sky even redder as it touched the heavens.

The smoke cleared and suddenly The Demon wasn't facing such a straightforward battle anymore…

**TBC:**

What few reviews. Next chapter is the last chapter and then the sequel, which will be darker and creepier…and more twisted. Also any characterization that's WAAAAAYYYY off? I'd appreciate a heads up if so.

Also: Who wants two guys to kiss and if so...which two?


	14. Depleted Hate FINAL CHAPTER

TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY 14

_I can't say Dustin-Dustin Marah but how about…well watch and see this might appease everyone because I'm a Dustin Marah fan too...oh and did the Storm sentinels entrance seem cheesy enough for everyone? It's supposed to be comical in a way but I amn't sure if I got it right...nyih_

**CamFan4ever: So…who's your favourite character?**

**Chapter 14: Depleted Hate**

The Demon stared. The field of spinning energy was surrounding the rangers in a haze of colour. Blue, Purple, Green, White and Black light shielded the rangers. "Call for the power" a voice whispered to each of the ex-rangers. "You passed the tests. Kimberly, you showed unconditional Compassion. Rockford you showed deep Selflessness. Trini you should levelheaded Judgement. Adam you showed patient Temperance. Jason you showed true Courage. We, the joint rangers who walked earth millennia ago…say that you are all ready to take up mantles left dormant for centuries. I believe the phrase you used was…it's morphin' time?"

"Any clue as to how we do that?" Rocky asked.

There was a flash and the tattoos on their bodies glowed.

"They got tattoos? Dude that is, like, so cool" Dustin exclaimed. The amulets appeared around the necks of the ex-rangers each with a different coloured stone in it. The knowledge flooded their minds as a small band circled their wrist.

"I---I know how to do this" Jason said. "Hey never thought I'd say it again It's -"

"No please no" Kim said. "We're not in high school anymore"

"Oh well" sighed Jason. He attached the amulet to the wristband. There was a flash of light as he held out his hand and the energy surrounded him. "Storm Sentinels!"

"Ready to Fight" the others said together as they vanished into a haze of light.

"I thought we got out of that phase" groaned Kim. "Ice Dragon"

"It's fun," Rocky said. "Wind Griffin!"

"Whatever floats your boat" Trini shrugged. "Fire Phoenix"

"Guys, let's keep it professional" Adam sighed. "Sea Turtle"

"We're lucky we have an inexplicable knowledge of how to morph" Jason said. "Earth Minotaur!" The light cleared. Kim was dressed in a purple and black outfit. Trini was in Green and black, Rocky was in Yellow and black, Adam was in white and black and Jason was in blue and black.

"This is but a setback" The Demon said. It was composed of all the worst enemies. It had Zed's visor frame but with red over only the right side. Its left eye belonged to Jindrax. It's mouth was Bansheeras. It had Master Orc's third eye, Toxica's horn, Goldar's helmet, Vypra's wings, Diabolico's jaw and neck, Scorpiona's left shoulder, the left sleeve of Rita's Robes. The Purple ponytail of Divatox. The Left hand of Ivan Ooze. The right hand of Rito Repulso and the right arm of Master Vile. It's chest was made up of multiple faces and its legs were too. It advanced, the faces on the chest shifted aside and revealed a large amber gem in its torso.

"This looks bad" Kim said. She pulled a staff from the air. "For that thing"

"There's something so familiar about that monster" Jason said as he brandished his axe. "You kids ready to show him what for?"

"Well we were planning on just standing here," Cam said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes wasted under his helmet. "Can we just get to it?"

"Rangers ranger everywhere!" The Demon rasped. Its horn glowed and a blast of energy scorched the earth at their feet blowing a sheet of Magma at them. The rangers leapt away.

"Such little pests" hissed Demon as it slashed the air. Rocky leapt at the energy bolt and sliced the air with his elbow blade weapons. The bolt was bounced to Adam who swung his warhammer like a baseball bat. Blake and Hunter leapt high into the air and slammed their staffs down. The bolt hit Demon who sparked and shimmered in pain.

"I think it's getting the picture!" Tori grinned. "So WORK THOSE ABS!" the sonic fin strike bounced Demon away. It rose and gestured at Tori, a bolt of light shot at her. Blake knocked her out of the way and the bolt exploded on a mountain.

"My Hero" Tori smiled.

"Oh…you know…" Blake blushed. Helmets hid what their voices said. Demon moved forwards in a blur to slash Blake. Trini caught the blade inches from Blake's face on her sickles. She whirled and slashed Demon away. Shane and Hunter unleashed blasts from his falcon cannon so Dustin could beat down the monster with his hammer and… Demon leapt up into the air, wings unfurled and glowed as they flapped sending a blast of light down onto the rangers blowing them off the ground.

"I won't lose to the likes of you!" snarled D as it swooped down low, the eyes of the faces that composed its body glowed and a blast of energy blew a rockslide into the quarry, reducing a rock formation to tumbling boulders with minimal effort.

"You will all DIE!"

"Heard that before" Jason said. He aimed and unleashed a blue blast from his axe blades. The blast hit one of the demon's wings and crashed it to the ground. The demon rose angrily.

"This isn't over!" it bellowed. It glanced at Hunter and Cam who were charging towards it. It charged up a black bolt of energy and cackled as it levelled its hand and unleashed the swirling beam.

* * *

In his hospital bed "Christian Hunt" tossed and turned. He could see the energy feel the fear…his eyes opened and glowed green.

* * *

Hunter's body jolted, Cam put himself in front of Hunter to accept the blast in the hopes of saving Hunter…the aura of green glowed around the blast from the Demon and diverted it into the ground a few meters away.

"What!" the Demon exclaimed. Cam looked around…Hunter was fine; he was fine… the Demon in about 2.5 seconds…would NOT.

"You're going down!" Cam exclaimed he leapt through the air slashing and hacking with his blade. The Demon blocked with the sword it held…and then the Green Samurai Ranger shoved the blade out of the defence to slash the Demon in a fit of rage.

"Take it easy greenie!" hissed the Demon as it was knocked up into the air by a kick.

"Whoa I've never seen Cam that angry before" whispered Tori. "It's like you against that psycho rat with the crossbow…" Blake rolled his eyes.

"That was different" Blake said.

The Ninja Storm Rangers and Storm Sentinel Rangers readied their blasters as Cam back flipped clear of the Demon. The blasts hit The Demon repeatedly in the chest… and knocked it to the ground. It sparked…and burst into flame.

"We rule! Alien's Drool!" Dustin crowed.

"What happened with that energy blast?" asked Shane.

"I don't know…" Hunter said. "I felt dizzy and then it had missed…did I do that?"

"YOU DID THIS" roared a voice. The Demon rose up from the crater it had left behind with a roar, growing bigger and more sinister.

"Oh man, just once could they NOT do this?" groaned Shane.

"Well the first monster we beat didn't do this" Dustin said cheerfully.

"Sentinel Storm Zords!" Kim said. "Appear. Come. Materialize. Apparate… give me a word here" she was trying to summon their zords.

"Try…Sentinels! Arise!" Rocky said. There was a rumble. From the icy depths of a realm where only the cold existed a purple dragon rose up, snaking through the air. From a world of fire a phoenix spread its wings and took flight. In the depths of an endless ocean a Leviathan stirred, its shark like body and tentacles flexed and swam… in a world of rock and crystal and earth a Minotaur roared after years of slumber.

Charging from the gateways the Sentinel Zords were boarded by their new group. The zords of the Ninja Storm rangers joined them. The Demon flipped over the zords and slashed across the back of the Samurai-Thunder zord that had formed. A Turtle Mace strike knocked it away.

The Sentinel zords began to combine. The Minotaur formed torso the phoenix made the wings and head. The Leviathan formed the legs and its tentacles became a shield. The griffin became an arm and the Dragon formed the other as well as a spear weapon.

"It's good to be back in the old zord" sighed Rocky.

"Enough Nostalgia!" roared The Demon. In another agile flip it unleased a blast of light from its eyes that captured the Samurai-Thunder zord in a stasus field of black light. "You die! NOW! And my vengeance will be complete."

* * *

C-H gasped and his back arched in the hospital bed. "No" he whimpered. The light glowed in his eyes again.

* * *

"I feel dizzy" grumbled Hunter. The Crimson Thunder Zord glowed in its place, energy waves deflected the sword. There was a flash and the crystal shattered. The Sentinel Zord slashed with its lance and buzz saw shield. The Samurai-Thunder zowrd unleashed a hurricane blast. The wind ninja zord blasted a lion head beam…the Demon shrieked and exploded.

"Look at that" Cam said. In the crater a purple bubble of light was flickering, bubbling waves of magenta swirling over it. The rangers leapt down and approached slowly. The bubble popped. The lances of purple blew them off their feet as a shape strode from the smoke.

The trousers were made out of black bandages of leather and buckled black belts. The boots were high heeled with a glittering black shin guard and dark red behind that protective layer. There was a long tatter black silk dress that hid the left leg and flowed out behind the woman's body. Parts of it were see through lace like spider webs that drifted on the wind in an eerie manner. She wore a black and red bodice with a belt of small silver skulls and a tattered red sash on her delicate hips. The dark red high necked silk top had a diamond shaped patch on the upper chest that was covered with black spider webs and housed a black spider with a ruby skull on its abdomen. The woman's elegant body came towards them.

"I am Diabolique" she said. She raised her right arm, the wide black sleeve with the gold lining and red dragon pattern on it was separate from her top and held in place by a diamond studded belt. The dragon glowed and snarled.

"And you've just unleashed me from the grip of Matriarchus who trapped me without my real form when she found me a few years ago" she raised her left arm that was covered by a black, silver and red metal gauntlet that stopped at her fingers which were in a fingerless glove and jutted out from under the wide metal cuff lined with small silver spikes and skulls.

"And I'm very surprised that you did that" she added. She wore a choker of silver skulls with ruby eyes. Covering her nose and mouth was a strange black mask that had the portion over the mouth shaped like vampire fangs, a not-completely-opaque mesh was between the fangs of the bizarre mouth on her mask. She wore a band of black thorns around a silver skull on her forehead. "Because I never thought you'd have much of a use for me" she looked at her well manicured black nails and then turned a glowing green gaze to them. "Now you know my name…" she reached up and pulled one of the ornate silver pins from her tied up hair as she curled another finger in one of the two braids on the right side of her face. "So you can't take it as the one who destroys you." She pulled back the curtain of black hair over her left eye and blasted a green bolt into the rangers.

(**A/N: excuse the excessive describing but I needed to get it out of my system I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOREVER TO GIVE THIS FORM TO HER**)

She shook out her hair and swung the braid over her head. It sent sparks of purple light shooting at them. Jason caught them on his axe and flung them back. Lothar caught the orbs and looked at them. "Not bad" he said to Diabolique. "Would you like a job?"

"Does it have good medical?" asked Lothar.

"I can't garuntee it the rangers tend to blow up workers"

"They can try" Diabolique smirked as she tied her hair back up. "I think I'll accept…" she looked at the rangers. "Later…I'll destroy you later" she spun and in a burst of shadows and dark purple smoke she disappeared.

"Hot Dog" Lothar grinned. "I've got a new general…see you around!" he hurled a laser bolt at the ground and in the resulting explosion he disappeared.

* * *

"This is most distressing" Sensei said. "Go ahead" he added. Jason brought his axe down on the sword. It exploded into purple dust and little sparkles. "This Diabolique sounds powerful…and allied with Lothar." Everyone was in ninja ops watching the destruction of the weapon that had caused so much trouble.

"We haven't got much to worry about" Cassidy said as she offered the drinks around. "I'm sure the new Storm Sentinel rangers will be back up enough…"

"Well…" Trini said. "We've decided to go back to Angel Grove. Find our paths as rangers. Whatever happens…happens" she shrugged.

"And there's a really great movie festival!" Rocky said. "Plus I have a dojo to run there so…I really can't hang around here."

"It's so weird" Tori said. "I can't believe that you guys got ranger powers…again"

"That's the way it is" shrugged Jason.

"Weird is the life we lead" Adam smiled. "We all need to do what we do… weird or not…if you ever need us we'll be listed"

Hunter paused. "What about Christian-Hunt-whoever? That thing with the megazord…I heard him telling me to trust him…"

"The Astral ninja's can project into bodies" explained Sensei. "No doubt he wanted to do penance by aiding us." He flipped onto the books stacked up nearby. "You should go and see him…find out his story"

"What about the…murders" Blake asked. They'd come to the conclusion Hunt had perpetrated the murders. Apparently they were all linked back to the boarding house owners who'd taken him in and that people who'd hurt them wound up dead.

"If he's not Christian and he's not Hunt then…the police can't charge him"

"I'll go, the doctor wants to see me no doubt" Hunter said.

"I'll go too!" Cam said jumping at the chance (but sadly not on Hunter). Cassidy gave him a meaningful look and he stifled the blush.

"We'll follow you up" Blake said as he and Tori conferred in a corner. By conferred it is meant: kissed in a sweet and romantic manner not a hormone driven grope party. Hunter and Cam climbed the stairs and left the others.

"You know…I should thank you" Hunter said. Cam stopped and looked at him. "You put yourself in front of an energy bolt twice for me…"

"Well its what friends do for each other" Cam said distantly.

"Yeah…well you're more then a friend" Hunter whispered. Cam looked up and their lips met as Hunter went in for a gentle kiss. He pulled back and flushed as crimson as his morpher. "I just…"

Cam pecked him on the lips. Hunter's eyes widened and then he smiled.

"What do we do now?" Cam murmured.

"Kiss him again!" Cassidy shouted from the portal hallway as they stood on the bank. Cam smiled.

"I like the way she thinks" Hunter said and slowly came in close again. The kiss was slower but more emotional and Hunter tasted distinctly sweet. Cam gave a small moan and a tiny sigh…better then in his wildest fantasies. He was pretty sure his leg just popped up…and another part of his anatomy. The gateway's preliminary glow pulled them apart as the doorway opened and Tori and Blake walked towards them.

There was a funny smile on Cam's face…he seemed like he was floating and not walking suddenly…Blake thought something was up…

* * *

"Hunter" Dr Stevens said as he spotted them coming into the hospital. "I need talk to you right away." Hunters throat closed…did those blood tests find something? Was C-H dead? Had the blood been a bad batch or something?

"What is it?"

"Well you need to see Mr Hunt first" Dr Stevens said. "In the name of patient confidentiality I can't let your friends in…sorry" he added sheepishly. "Please it's important".

Cam watched Hunter enter the room…suddenly he felt very cold.

* * *

Shane looked sheepishly at his mother who was sitting at the dinner table with a bowl of soup. "Sit down Shane" she said. He slowly walked over and sat in at the chair. "Let me make this clear…It. Was. Not. Your. Fault"

"Yes it was" Shane said. "I should have done something sooner…"

"Oh honestly" Greta rolled her eyes. "You're my precious baby and a power ranger I know that you have limits. What would you have done? Burst into the cave all cannons blasting? You tried even when plans got changed and people got in the way you did what you could to get that sword to free me. And another thing…I couldn't be more proud of you" she hugged him.

"Thanks Mom" he sighed.

* * *

Nurse Helga/Olga whatever was standing by the awake Christian-Hunt's bed. "Are you okay dear?" she smiled down at him. "Vud you like anozer pillow?"

"No thank you Nurse Brinham" the boy said. "I'm fine. Thank you." The Nurse shot a nasty look at Hunter and muttered something. "She's really nice actually…he Doc"

"Well at least you're finally awake" Dr Stevens said.

"Yeah, damn unconsciousness" shrugged Christian-Hunt. "Hi Hunter"

"Hey" Hunter said as Dr Stevens shut the door. "What's going on?"

"I haven't a clue, they just said they had something important to tell me" shrugged Christian-Hunt. "Wonder what."

"As you know Mr Hunt -"

"It's not Hunt" C-H said. "It's…just…not" he trailed off and looked out the window.

"Well…your blood anomaly is rare. The Anabranch Blood Anomaly is also hereditary you see so…well we ran tests…and Hunter has it too" Hunter flinched a little unsure of what to say. "Well before you ask why that's so big…I – eh – pulled a few favours and…well…" he swallowed. "We got a DNA test…it turns out you two are…well…twins"

Hunter nearly collapsed and C-H seemed to be trying to form words. "That-That's not possible. We don't look identical" Hunter said.

"Well you're not genetic twins" the doctor said. "You're fraternal." Hunter turned and looked at the boy. He had some similar features…but he was different at the same time. His hair was blonder…and smoother. He had a different shape to his face… but there eyes were identical.

"I'll give you a few moments," Dr Stevens said as he left the room.

"We're brothers" murmured Hunter. "Chris---Hun---" he smiled. "Which is it?"

"Neither" the boy replied as he slowly gazed over Hunter's face. There eyes were the same. Colour, shape, everything. "They were two sides of my personality."

"So…you were…split?"

"Yes. Family life bites. Hunt was basically named after you. Dedicated to completion of all ambitions as in finding you, but by any malicious means necessary and to find the brother I –KNEW- I had was the drive that I suppose I saw as being justifying towards any deadly means I used. Christian was named after the angelic side of my personalities. My nice side."

"So who are you?" Hunter asked.

"Well my full name is Edwin-Theodore" he said. "Theo is what I'm called mostly. I'll give you a crash course in my life at a later date…" Hunter stared at him. "I know"

"What?" Hunter asked.

"You feel the weird connection. It was why I could use your mind as a conduit for my mental powers…we have one of those psychic bonds twins stereotypically have." He had a British accent! Theo/Christian/Hunt had a BRITISH accent! It had been a lilt until now. But there was a definite accent when he pressed it forwards. When he got passionate or emotional.

"Why the accent?"

"Because I come from England" smiled Theo. "The academy was on the astral plane students were from all over the place". Hunter felt something in Theo's words and over the supposed bond. "I wound up here a while ago with my foster family. Unlike you I didn't get emancipated minor status so I could live alone at 17. I've been in the academy since I was 8. Foster families bounced me around…there's a lot to say but I won't bore you".

There was a knock on the door and Cam peeked his head around. Hunter smiled…he felt something like smugness at the other end of the link to Theo. "Hey guys…I think you should come in" Hunter said. He turned to look at Theo. "I haven't even told Blake -"

"Relax its in the gene pool" winked Theo. "Hey" he said as the others enetered the hospital room nervously. "Before you ask…the schizophrenia is gone. And I know who I am."

"Christian or Hunt?" asked Tori with a faint smile.

"Edwin-Theodore" he said. "Call me **_Theo_**."

"Guys" Hunter said slowly. "There's something I think you should know. We only just found out and the shock is still setting in believe me…my legs aren't actually working at the moment because someone's turned them into jelly. But -"

"How are the newly found brothers?" Dr Stevens grinned as he marched in. Everyone looked at the boys sitting on the bed. "Should I leave?" a glow rippled through his eyes and he turned and walked away. Theo shook his head.

"You're…what?" Blake murmured.

"Some sort of…weirdness" said Theo. "Biologically I'm his twin"

"O-Oh" Blake said slowly.

"Bro?" Hunter ventured.

"I need -" Blake turned and left the room. Tori followed. Cam moved closer.

"Go ahead and kiss him" Theo said. "We've got a psychic thing going. Plus I can really see what he sees in you" Cam looked shocked. "Oh kiss the bugger" the British accent was there in force. Cam smiled and slowly kissed Hunter.

"Don't worry" Cam said. "Blake needs time. Just like you and Theo do."

"Oh we definitely do" nodded Hunter.

"No time like the present" Cam said. "We should take him back to ninja Ops"

"What about…the murders?" Hunter whispered. Theo flinched.

"Well Dad doesn't know what we can do about that…he says that Christian and Hunt were separate entities for a while and Theo is a cross between them so he's neither and both. In a roundabout way he nearly burnt out my morpher with his metaphors when I asked him about this. He says that these belong to you" he handed the morphers to Theo.

Theo accepted them and smiled. "No" he said. "Sensei Takoi gave these to me to kill me so I couldn't stop him. He let Lothar into the Academy. Lothar evaporated him…"

"My father told me Takoi was a - deviant," Cam said. "Is he…the one who…"

"Yes. Him and two of his "favourite" students" Theo said. "It gave me the schizophrenia in a way, which in turn acted with the morphers to make my body morph when one personality took over. He pretended to be helping me but I activated both morphers with the fake pass code and…well here I am" he sighed.

"Hey, you've got us to help you" Hunter smiled. The boy tried to hand over the morphers again. Hunter pushed them back. "You can't give up that easy"

Theo looked into his brother's eyes. "Okay" he muttered. "I'll go to ninja ops with you…but that's not to say that it's morphin' time!"

* * *

"He has a blood brother," Blake said. He was walking with Tori down the street. It was the first time they'd spoken since they'd left the hospital for a walk. "So…how can I compare?" Tori shook her head.

"Hunter called you bro, but you never notice that he calls you Bro in a different way to anyone else. You are his brother, he would never replace you and you know that!" Tori exclaimed. "He lives with you, he fights alongside you and he grew up with you". She hugged him. "You know he wants to find a way to have Theo – and it's weird to call him that – as a brother too but they haven't grown up together."

"I just feel…tossed upside down…" Blake said. "How---how is this happening?"

"I have a feeling that…I don't know…this is…just a beginning of something."

They kissed and for a little while the problems faded for a few perfect moments.

* * *

"So you destroyed Matriarchus" Lothar said. Kapri and Marah waved pompoms in the air. Then stopped as their uncle glared at them. "And took on your own…form" he looked her up and down. "Can I trust you?"

"Of course not" Diabolique said. "But I know everything that brainless twit knew and more. She taught me everything and I learned on my own. I will do things 100 times better then she did…all you need to do is let me work" she smirked.

"What about them?" Lothar asked. Two figures entered the room. They were dressed in black, jagged, thorny versions of the ninja's ranger forms. One was yellow and the other crimson.

"Oh" Diabolique said. "Them…they'll do what I tell them"

"Guess again" snapped the Crimson Psycho jabbing the air before her. She grabbed his arm and twisted him to his hands and knees, capturing his arm between her legs with a laugh. The yellow dashed forward. She swung a leg around and kicked him backwards. He landed at Marah's feet. He looked up her legs slowly and their eyes connected…

"You'll do what I say honey" she snarled. "Or I'll send you back into the mass of bubbling gold dust of a possibility you came from. Power down. Now or I'll bring those nauseating folk-singers here from your dimension." Dustin2 and Hunter2 shuddered as they morphed out. Dustin2 looked at Marah goofily and she blushed.

"So they're clones" murmured Lothar.

"No they're evil versions of our darling Crimson and Yellow rangers" Diabolique said. "They have the same skills, abilities and personalities as the versions from this dimension however using remnants of the opposite dimension the Blue Ranger was trapped in I mixed that with their potential for evil. They will be perfect and efficient psychological weapons against these rangers. Given time I might be able to mix up the rest…but for now they'll be good little boys."

Hunter2 sneered at her, gritting his teeth and glaring. She ignored him and walked over to the viewing screen. "The rangers…don't know what's waiting for them…"

**THE END...For now...**

_**To be continued in the Sequel coming soon to !**_

Well my first fic is finished! It's my second completed fic actually but this was the first I posted. In the next fic the couplings will be:

**Tori/Blake** (natch): Tori and Blake are going out, her mother approves...this is all good... until they have their first fight...about the power rangers.

**Dustin/Theo**: This is weird, Dustin can't ever trust Marah again even after all she'd done for him...but Theo's still traumatised inside and they get close...

**Dustin2/Marah** (her uncle approves a little more): Marah begins to make Dustin2 into his own person but he's still fundamentally an evil version of Dustin...he still likes puppies though...well, anyway, that's her relationship with Dustin because he has the part of Dustin's consciousness that liked Marah in him

**Kapri/Shane:** Shane is fighting his attraction tooth and nail as is Kapri but there's one there... oh damn

**Hunter2/?????:** Sorry not telling. Guess

**Cam/ Hunter**: Cam and Hunter are trying to figure out who they are where they are and what they are insofar as their new found relationship goes. It's only a matter of time before things get shakey.

**_Love Triangles, vengeful demon generals, Sensei's good advice, Kelly's big revelation and the reappearance of a person who is really nasty..._**


End file.
